1st May demonstration in Sanandaj

Workers brutally attacked and arrested in 1st May demonstration in Sanandaj

Shist Amani, Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the National Union of Sacked and Unemployed Workers seen here reading the 1st May resolution. He was arrested shortly after.

Today 1st May, international Workers' Day was celebrated in many main cities of Iran. In Sanandaj, the police attacked the 400 strong demonstrations in the most brutal manner, injured many and arrested 14 workers. The police used chemical gas to disperse the crowd. The names of some of the arrested are as follows: Sadigh Karimi, Eghbal Latifi, Yadolah Moradi, Najmedin Rajabi, Farogh Gavili, Anvar Mafakheri, Sadigh Amjadi, Habibolah Kalkani and Shist Amani.

We urge all human rights and workers organisations to protest against this savage attack and the arrest of the workers. The Islamic Republic of Iran does not recognise the basic civil and workers' rights. There is no right of association, strike, speech or collective bargaining in Iran. Workers are denied their right to freely organise their independent unions. Despite all these limitations, workers do try to organise and unit their efforts for a better living condition. The Iranian regime has tried for 3 decades to crush any resistance, but as we have seen year after year, people have celebrated 1st May, the International Workers' Day in the most impressive way.

*"Workers of the world unit"* is not just a slogan. Workers in Sanandaj and those arrested have materialised it and are urging workers everywhere to support them and make efforts to release them.

Today's demonstration was attended by workers, their families, students and people from all walks of life. After the arrests, the relatives of the arrested gathered outside the detention centre. They too were attacked and arrested. They were later released. Many workers from the unemployed union were attacked by knives and injured. The demonstrators protested against the arrests and continued chanting their May Day demands: A ban on child labour, recognition of May Day, an end to sacking of workers and unemployment, release of Mahmood Salehi (a well known workers' activist who has been jailed several times and is in custody at the moment for organising May Day demonstrations) and better living conditions. A resolution was read by Shist Amani, the chairperson of the Union. We will provide the translated text of the resolution in our future statements.

We urge all to:

Condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran for attacking and arresting the workers in Sanandaj.

Support the workers in Iran and take every possible action to put pressure on the Iranian authorities to release the jailed workers in Sanandaj.

Send letters of protest condemning the attacks. - Send letters of solidarity with the workers in Iran.

ENDS

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