Page 9 - MEOG Week 42 2022

MEOG POLICY & SECURITY MEOG

Iran unrest spreads to sugar factory,

gas workers might be striking too

IRAN EMPLOYEES at Iran’s Haft Tapeh sugar factory mid 20s or teenage years, with the rallying cry
in the southwestern city of Shush have started a “Woman, life, freedom!” —has been reported in
strike amid the anti-regime protests that have several locations in recent days. That’s especially
shaken the country for the past five weeks. the case in southern areas where Iran’s oil indus-
Well-known Iranian labour activist Esmail try is located.
Bakhshi wrote on Twitter on October 18 that Videos posted by the Organizing Council
managers at the factory attempted to persuade of Oil Contract Workers in Iran, referred to by
workers at Haft Tapeh not to strike by wiring RFE/RL, show fuel tanker drivers at Abadan oil
money into their bank accounts, “but they came refinery refusing to load supplies and blocking
anyway to show honor”. Some reports indicate the refinery entrance.
that, while persistent, the protests have become Unconfirmed accounts on social media
scattered. If they came to pass, widespread indicated workers at the central workshop of
labour strikes hitting key industries would give the South Pars Gas Complex, and the Bushehr,
the protesters fresh momentum. Abadan and Bandar Abbas petrochemical
Economic hardship faced by Iranians is an companies were also out on strike. Workers at
essential factor that has helped to fire the pro- Asalouyeh petrochemical plant and Kangan
tests since they first broke out in mid-Septem- Petro Refining Company were thought to have
ber following the death of Mahsa Amini—the launched strikes on October 18.
22-year-old who fell into a coma and died while Students at various Iranian universities are
in the custody of the Tehran “morality police” for continuing with protests such as sit-ins and
allegedly wearing a hijab loosely in breach of the shouting down the speeches of government offi-
Islamic dress code. cials. Students at Tehran University on October
Authorities have increasingly met demon- 18 had a group lunch in breach of the rules on
strators with lethal force across the country. The compulsory gender segregation in the cafeteria.
confirmed death toll by now far exceeds 200, In response, security forces moved in and beat
with the United Nations saying at least 23 chil- some of the students while threatening to arrest
dren are among the dead. Among those killed them, Radio Farda reported.
were 16-year-old girls Nika Shakarami and Sky News on October 18 reported how the
Sarina Esmailzadeh, now two of the most prom- regime has used its upgraded internet “kill-
inent faces of the protests, and Asra Panahi, a switch” for the first time as Iran’s tech-savvy
16-year-old schoolgirl said to have been beaten youth has continued to evade digital censorship.
by security forces in the northwestern city of #MahsaAmini has become the most popular
Ardabil for refusing to sing a pro-regime anthem hashtag in the world, though Tehran accuses
when her school was raided. influence operations run by foes such as the US,
Other labour action in solidarity with the Saudi Arabia and Israel of bombarding the inter-
protests—often led by women and members net with propaganda and fake news in an effort at
of Generation Z, or “zoomers” in their early to spreading the unrest.™

Week 42 19•October•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P9