A May Day rally in Tehran, organized by independent Iranian labor organizations, was attacked by security and intelligence forces, with many beaten and arrested. Security forces did not allow some 2,000 people who had come to the city’s Laleh Park for the rally to gather, dispersing them with tear gas and baton charges. Violence and arrests are also reported from the city of Sanandaj, where a May Day rally was similarly attacked by police.
Participating organizations included the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company, the Syndicate of Workers of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company, the Free Union of Workers in Iran, the Syndicate of Building Painters and Decoration Workers, the Center for Workersâ Rights in Iran, the Collaborative Council of Labor Organizations and Activists, the Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organizations, and the Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Free Workers’ Organizations. (International Alliance in Support of Workers in IranâIASWI, May 1)
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Statement from Iran’s May Day Organizing Committee
IranâStatement Number 2 of the May Day Organizing Committee (1388)
Workers and freedom loving people!
This is a follow up statement to the May Day Organizing Committeeâs first report on the violent attack by police and intelligence forces at the May Day rally in Laleh Park, Tehran, May 1st, 2009, during which more than 150 workers and their families as well as activists of womenâs and students’ movements were arrested. The updates for public information and appropriate actions, as of today, are as follows:
Four days after the May Day police crackdown, about 130 women and men are still incarcerated. They are detained in unacceptable conditions in section 204 of Tehran’s Evin Prison.
The families of these esteemed friends have been incessantly contacting the intelligence and judicial centres, including the Islamic Revolutionary Court on Moalem Street (Teacher Street). They have been threatened by security forces and never received a clear answer from the judicial authorities. The relatives of the arrested workers have been gatherings in unity outside the court protesting the arrest of their loved ones.
The authorities have told some family members of the detainees that they have issued heavy bails of 50 to 100 million toman (US$50,000 to $100,000) for the conditional release of most of the arrested activists; however, many of the arrested workers have demonstrated high Morale and demanding their unconditional release without any bail conditions.
The May Day Organizing Committee condemns these oppressive measures and brings to the attention of all freedom-loving people of the world the fact that all these beatings and assaults demonstrate the repressive disposition of the ruling capitalism in Iran; that’s why these people are imprisoned unjustifiably and their freedom is delayed inexcusably and their families are being penalized financially. Isn’t it the Iranian government’s security and intelligence apparatus that has to be accountable for all the financial and emotional costs of these inhumane actions?!
Workers, women, students and freedom-seeking people!
Support the families of the imprisoned activists who have been gathering everyday outside the Islamic Revolutionary Court protesting the cruel and inhumane actions of the police and judicial systems. Let’s join them in solidarity!
Workers and Workers’ organization of all countries around the world!
The Iranian capitalist sate has not only attacked the May Day event across Iran in recent days, they have also raided the meeting of the consumer cooperative of the Metal-Mechanics Workers in Nemat-Abad of Tehran and arrested a number of workers.
As we all know, the celebration of May First and the declaration of workersâ demands are absolute and undeniable rights of the working class. We see ourselves in solidarity with workers of the world, and invite you all to disseminate these reports and take necessary measures to increase pressures for the unconditional freedom of all arrested activists at May Day rallies in Tehran and other parts of Iran.
1388 May Day Organizing Committee
Tehran, Iran, May 04, 2009 (Ordibehesht 14, 1388)
The May Day Organizing Committee:
– The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company
– The Syndicate of Workers of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company
– The Free Union of Workers in Iran
– The Founding Committee of the Syndicate of Building ‘s Painters and Decoration’s Workers
– The Center for Workersâ Rights in Iran
– The Collaborative Council of Labour Organizations and Activists
– The Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workersâ Organizations
– The Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Free Workersâ Organizations
– The Womenâs Council
-A Group of Worker Activists
Call for International Campaign to Free Iran May Day Detainees
Workers and labour organizations in Iran and all over the world!
On May First, the International Workers’ Day, many workers and their families assembled in Laleh Park of Tehran in response to the May Day Organizing Committee (consisting of independent labour organizations in Iran ). People gathered to present their demands and to commemorate the May Day; however, they as well as other visitors of the park were violently attacked by the security-intelligence forces and plain-clothes agents. These forces used all kinds of tools and equipments to assault people, as the result of which many got severely injured and more than 150 people while being beaten were taken to custody. At this time, about 100 of the above are still incarcerated.
The people who were so brutally beaten and arrested had not committed any crime. They were repressed because they wanted to commemorate their international day, along with billions of other workers around the world, and put forward the demands of million of working people of Iran . They are being oppressed because of their efforts to form independent organizations. Many of them just like thousand other workers in Iran have not been paid for months. They are now in such unbearable situation only because they raised their protest voice together.
Everyday, the families of the May Day detainees have been gathering outside courts and judicial offices but they have been badly treated and never received a clear answer from the judicial authorities. We, millions of workers and toilers and egalitarians, are responsible towards our imprisoned colleagues and their families and must not leave them on their own. We have to engage in united and immense efforts for the freedom of all prisoners.
We therefore launch a campaign for the freedom of May Day detainees and call on all workers’ and human rightsâ organizations in Iran and internationally to denounce these arrests, demand unconditional freedom of all detainees and support the legitimate demands of workers in Iran, which was stipulated in their 2009 (1388) May Day resolution. All concerned organizations and individuals are urgently requested to take any necessary and possible measures, depending on their capacity, in support of the May Day detainees.
LONG LIVE CLASS SOLIDARITY OF WORKERS OF THE WORLD
Please send the report of your actions, statements and solidarity messages to:
campain1may@gmail.com.
May 9th, 2009 (Ordibehest 19, 1388)
The May Day Organizing Committee:
⢠The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company
⢠The Syndicate of Workers of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company
⢠The Free Union of Workers in Iran
⢠The Founding Committee of the Syndicate of Building Painters and Decoration’s Workers
⢠The Collaborative Council of Labour Organizations and Activists
– The Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workersâ Organizations
– The Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Free Workers’ Organizations
– A Group of Worker Activists
– The Womenâs Council
⢠The Center for Workersâ Rights in Iran
Supported by:
The Electrical & Metal Workers’ Trade Association in Kermanshah, The Association in Support of the Sacked Workers of Saqhez, The Committee in Defence of Haft Tapeh Workers, Workers of The Parris textile Factory in Sanandaj, Workers of the Shin Baft Spinning and Textile Factory in Sanandaj, Workers of Shahoo, Sanandaj Textile, Gharb Baft, Ajor Shil, Shir Paak Araa, Gunnny Baafi (Gunny Making) Sama, Fajr Flour and Nirou Rakhsh factories, Service workers of Sanandajâs Tohid Hospital, A group of Retired Workers of Sanandaj, Workers of Farsh Gharb Company in Kermanshah, Dena Laastic (Rubber), A group of workers of Ghaa-en Cement, A group of Workers of Aslavieh…
(more names to be added)
Translated by the May Day Organizing Committee