At ten o’clock in the morning on November 11, teachers across the country gathered nationwide and followed up on their demands. The mass gatherings were held following a call by Coordinating Council of Teachers’ and cultural Trade Unions. Thousands of teachers took part in the rallies in various cities, chanting slogans, applauding, giving speeches and raising banners, protesting against under poverty line salaries, discriminations, and security control of the teachers and pupils.
In preparation for the day, teachers from various provinces issued statements announcing their joining the nationwide rally. According to the reports we have received, these gatherings have been held in74 cities and large numbers of teachers participated in each one of the cities. The demonstrations were held in cities including: Tehran, Shiraz, Yezd, Qom, Ahvaz, Mashhad,Tabriz, Alborz, Genaveh, Zarrin Dasht, Yasuj, Kermanshah, Jolfa, Zanjan, Urmia, Aligudarz, Anzali , Saqezo Zivieh, Marivan, Sanandaj, Bukan, Boroujerd, Andimeshk, Izeh, Dezful, Dorud, Babol, Amol, Neka, Sari, Mahshahr, Lordegan, Ilam, Shirvan, Bushehr, Poldakhtar, Qazvin, Malayer, Marvdasht, Arak, Bojnourd, Hamedan, Khorramabad, Noorabad and Mamasani, Farashband, Darab and Kuhdasht…
Among the slogans of the protesting teachers in this day’s gatherings were: “Livelihood, dignity, our inalienable right”, “so much injustice, never seen by any nation”, “Implementation of assimilation, without deception”, “,” We only hear promises, we don’t see any deeds “,” Teacher! Shout!, shout your rights!”,”Teacher is awake, hates discrimination “,” With all the fuss, what is the result of promises “,” Teacher even if dies, does not accept humiliation ” “, and “blab la is enough, our table is empty “.
At these rallies, banners protesting inequalities, arrests and emphasizing the demand for the release of imprisoned teachers, free education for all, and the implementation of job rankings, which is the immediate demand of all teachers, attracted attention.
In Shiraz, teachers seized a banner with a photo of Ismail Abdi the well –known jailed teacher and demanded his immediate release. In Bushehr, teachers emphasized the closure of security and trumped up charges against the teachers and protesters, and demanded that Mahmoud Malaki, one of the protesting teachers in the city, be acquitted.
During the protests, the security forces of the Islamic regime tried to arrest some teachers. Massoud Farhikhteh, a member of the Islamshahr Cultural Association, was arrested during the teachers’ rally, but the pressure of the teachers’ protests was such that they were forced to release him immediately.
One emphasis of teachers in these gatherings was the right to organize, and in Shiraz, teachers in their speeches emphasized joining their organization, the Teachers’ Union.
Free and quality education for young people and elimination of discrimination in education, implementation of equalization of pensioners ‘salaries, closing of union activists’ charges, solving problems of contract teachers, preschool teachers and Teachers’ tuition and employment, retirement bonuses, return to work of fired teachers, end to embezzlement and transparency in how to spend the Cultural Reserve Fund, are among the demands announced by teachers in Resolutions and statements.
Teachers in their protests emphasize the increase of salaries to over 12 million which is poverty line.
Teachers are a protesting and militant section of society and have for years stood up against poverty, discrimination and inequality, embezzlement and theft and government repressions and represented the demands of the whole society.
Free Them Now (FTN)
12 November1400