Black Day In Tehran

Yesterday, security and police forces violently attacked Iranian workers as they gathered in Laleh Park in Tehran to observe May Day. The demonstration had been called by ten independent labor organizations. More than 100 persons were arrested, and citizens not participating in the attempted May Day observance were among those beaten.

An eyewitness said she saw five police vans full of arrested people: “Without warning, two vans parked and plain-clothes agents came out of them and started to arrest people. Suddenly, I heard the call, ‘Long live the labor movement!’ Two more vans came, and agents attacked and arrested people. As people resisted, they were beaten with batons and punched and kicked. The attack took 15 minutes after which people walked away because the park was full of security agents who would arrest anyone near the fountain.”

Among the better known labour activists detained are Jafar Azimzadeh, Shahpour Ehsanirad, Maryam Mohseni and Behrouz Khabazzadeh. Other eyewitnesses say seven members of the Association to Defend Child Workers were arrested as well.

In Amireh, meanwhile, five labour rights activists have been arrested on charges related to helping organize a May Day rally there: Sedigh Karimi, Sharif Saedpanah, Majid Mohammadi, Seyed Khaled Hosseini and Zhyan Sobhani. At the rally, workers were attacked and severely beaten by the security forces, and at least 10 were arrested. Ghayegh Key Khosravi is also among the detainees.

These comrades join an uncounted number of trade unionists now behind bars in Iran, the better-known of whom include Mansour Osanloo, Ebrahim Maddadi, Farzad Kamangar and Ghaleb Hosseini.

What we want for ourselves, we should demand for all.

Do not forget them.