Iranian retirees have renewed protests in several major cities across the country, reiterating calls for more social and economic freedoms, as well as regular adjustments to their pensions in line with inflation as the cost of living soars amid international sanctions.
According to reports on social media outlets, the protests took place on July 19 outside the pension fund offices and provincial buildings in cities including Kermanshah, Yazd, Shiraz, Hamedan, Ardabil, Karaj, Qazvin, and Sanandaj.
Images and videos shared online showed protesters holding placards calling for the release of imprisoned trade activists and other political prisoners.
Participants also voiced their frustrations over the failure of the country's leaders to improve living conditions with slogans such as "Incompetent government, shame, shame," "We won't rest until we secure our rights," and "Enough of promises, our tables are empty."
The demonstrations by retirees come after the government recently announced a decision to consolidate 18 different pension funds into one in an attempt to address a shortfall of 3,000,000 billion Iranian Rials ($6 billion) and rising debts.
For more than a decade, the Iranian government has been staving off the crisis in the pension funds through various measures such as allocating shares, transferring factories, and even gifting land to offset debts.
Despite these efforts, official reports indicate that out of the 18 pension funds in Iran, 17 were either bankrupt or teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.
Iran's economy has been ravaged by U.S. sanctions, leading to a surge of protests in several cities. A report from the Labor Ministry indicated a significant increase in Iran's poverty rate, growing 50 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year.
The protests on July 19 weren't limited to pensioners with a series of separate protests occurring across the country, showing the depth of anger following years of what demonstrators say is negligence and corruption in the public sector.
Disabled individuals demonstrated outside Tehran's city administration building, while teachers rallied in Shiraz, and workers from the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Complex held a protest outside the Development and Ancillary Industries Company in Ahvaz.
Unrest has rattled Iran since last summer in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support. Labor law in Iran does not recognize the right of workers to form independent unions.
Adding to the dissent, the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly breathed new life into the demonstrations, which officials across the country have tried to quell with harsh measures.