This year in Iran, as always, we witnessed numerous clashes between workers and the people on one side, and government forces on the other, over the celebrating of International Workers’ Day. The mobilizations to commemorate this global labor day were extensive. Security threats began a week before May 1st. However, despite these threats, ceremonies for International Workers’ Day were held in cities such as Kermanshah, Sanandaj, Arak, Qazvin, Shiraz, Harsin, Saqqez, Mamasani, and Nourabad.
In Ahvaz, on April 26 (7th of Ordibehesht), Social Security retirees welcomed International Workers’ Day and raised the banner of May Day. Following their call, the Council for Organizing Protests of Contract and Informal Oil Workers expressed support in a joint statement, and the Council for Organizing Nurses’ Protests issued a call to honor May Day, emphasizing the continuation of their protests.
Alongside these calls, workers, retirees, teachers, nurses, and various sectors of society issued statements to honor and welcome May 1st.
Teachers and retirees were the main organizers of nationwide protest gatherings for May 1st and two of the primary pillars of this global workers’ solidarity day in Iran.
This year, government repression to prevent May Day events in Iran was harsher than before, as the regime fears the explosive social atmosphere and the stronger resurgence of the revolution. In the days leading up to May Day, labor activists in various provinces—especially in Qazvin, Kurdistan, Fars, Khuzestan, Mazandaran, Kermanshah, Gilan, and Mashhad—faced threats in various forms. Teachers received threatening text messages warning them not to participate in “illegal” gatherings. On the eve of May Day, threatening calls, summonses of activists, and even pressure on their families intensified. And on May 1st itself, in cities such as Tehran, Bushehr, Hamedan, Rasht, and Mazandaran, security forces directly prevented gatherings from taking place.
During these confrontations, arrests also took place. As of now, three of those detained in Tehran—Vali Mirza Seidi, Farahi Shandiz, and Ahmad Heidari and Hoseyn Ebadian from Shahryar city remain imprisoned. Their immediate and unconditional release is a pressing demand of the May Day organizers and all of us.
Assembly, protest, organizing, and holding May Day ceremonies are fundamental rights of workers and the people.
The Campaign to Free Jailed Workers in Iran (FREE THEM NOW) strongly condemns the brutal crackdown by the Islamic regime on May Day events, the arrests, and the beating of workers and participants in these gatherings. We expect labor unions worldwide to stand in solidarity with this protest and apply pressure for the release of May Day detainees. All May Day detainees, imprisoned workers and teachers, and all political prisoners must be freed immediately and unconditionally.
FREE THEM NOW (Campaign to Free Jailed Workers in Iran)