May Day in Tehran and Sanandaj: around 50 workers
and labour activists arrested in Tehran on May Day

Iranian Workers’ Solidarity Network, 01/05/09

In an unprecedented show of unity, nine independent labour organisations in Iran issued an appeal to workers for commemorating May Day. These organisations also published a May Day resolution with 15 demands.

These organisations wanted to have their own independent ceremony because they have been banned from the pro-regime Labour House’s May Day ceremonies since 2007. On May Day 2007 the independent activists managed to pose their own slogans in such a way that they were adopted by the majority of workers present - even by Labour House supporters.

The Iranian regime therefore saw the unity of the independent workers’ organisations, represented by the over 2000 workers and activists present, as its biggest threats. It had a countless number of police and other security forces’ officers stationed all around Laleh Park from 10am - even though the workers would not be gathering until 5pm!

	A countless number of police and other security forces’ officers stationed all around Laleh Park

At around 5.15, as people were gathering for the rally, the regime’s forces attacked everyone who was in the park. They began beating people - not only the workers and other labour activists but even those who were there for leisure - with truncheons and suffocating them with tear gas. After that they dragged over 50 people, including many women, on the ground and bundled them into the dozens of vans and cars parked around the square. Those arrested include well-known labour activists like Ms. Maryam Mohseni, as well as Jafar Azimzadeh, Shapoor Ehsani and Behrouz Khabaz.

As with Saghez in 2004, the May Day rally did not actually take place because of the attack and arrests.

The May Day Organising Committee is made up of the following organisations:

• Trade Union of the Workers of the Vahed Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company

• Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company Workers’ Trade Union

• Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers

• Founding Committee for Re-launching the Trade Union of Building, Painting and Decoration Workers

• The Labour Rights Association

• Co-operation Council of Labour Organisations and Activists

• Co-ordination Committee for the Formation of Labour Organisations

• Pursuit Committee for the Formation of Free Labour Organisations

• The Women’s Council

• A group of Labour Activists

Iranian Workers’ Solidarity Network
1 May 2009

May Day in Sanandaj

Iranian Workers’ Solidarity Network, 01/05/09

At 5pm on May 1 2009 workers and their families gathered in Sanandaj's Amiriyeh Park to commemorate International Labour Day. The May Day celebration was disrupted after 15 minutes when police and plain-clothes security officers attacked those gathered, beating them and arresting 12 people.

Mansour Karimi, Ms Shiva Sohani, Ms Leila Khalili and Kourosh Bakhshandeh are among those arrested. To break up the gatheirng the security forces used tear gas, pepper spray, and even beat women and children.

Sanandaj, in Kurdistan, is one of the main centres of workers' struggles in Iran.

Source: Pursuit Committee for the Formation of Free Labour Organisations