Worker-communist Party of Iran- Hekmatist (Official Line)

Communique No.1

No to High Cost of Living!

No to Islamic Republic!

The wave of anti-government protests and unrests that started in the cities of Mashhad, Neyshabur, Kashmar, Shahroud and Yazdquickly quickly, within a couple of days, spread to a large number of other cities and towns up and down the country.

All sections of the population, especially the youth and women, poured into the streets and demonstrated against poverty, high prices, corruption and repression. In response, the authorities mobilised all their might including anti-riot and security forces in an effort to contain and suppress the protests. Early reports indicate that hundreds of people have been detained and scores wounded at the hands of the armed security forces.

These protests took place against a backdrop of ongoing assaults on the living standard of the working people and the poor. The government’s proposed draft budget for the coming year, a budget that had overlooked the concerns of the ordinary people and had generously increased the share of the military and security forces as well as the religious institutions and other organs of suppression.  At the same time, the draft budget proposed to cut public services and drastically raise the price of petrol, bread and essential goods and remove over 30 million people from the state subsidy scheme.

The working class and the downtrodden sections of the population, women and the youth, have for too long, been at the receiving end of policies aimed at propping up the crises stricken capitalist system in Iran. The vast majority of the people have endured poverty, unemployment and misogynist Islamic oppression, while a small minority of population have enormously benefited.

Years of poverty and economic pressures coupled with constant heavy-handed suppression of any descending voices has fuelled these spontaneous outbursts of anger.  These protests are culmination of years of hatred of the Islamic Republic.

Along with brutal crackdown meted out by the riot police and armed security forces, leading political, military and security figures and religious and judicial leaders have also intervened. While they hypocritically sympathise with protestors and claim to understand their problems, at the same time resort to all kinds of ploys to contain, control and ultimately suppress the protests.

Furthermore, in order to discredit the protestors, sections within the Islamic Republic authorities are trying to associate these unrests to their animosities with Israel, USA and Saudi Arabia.  A tried and tested ploy to undermine any genuine grievance and pave the way for their brutal suppression.   

Needless to say that every political movement and party and every concerned citizen will try to influence the current protests and align them to their own political objectives. This also has been the case for a number of high-ranking political figures within the regime. They are trying to diffuse the situation by declaring that 'people are entitled to protest'. As far as the Iranian authorities are concerned, this is a reflection of their fear of the protests spreading wider to other major cities and large industrial centres. This is a doomed attempt by the authorities to contain the protests and silence them. Protestors have been unambiguous in targeting all sections of the Islamic Regime.

The demonstrations of the past two days were aimed at the entire ruling Islamic regime with all its factions. They were clearly against poverty, high prices, unemployment and homelessness and for a better living condition; political freedom; women’s emancipation, and for welfare and security.

Every citizen, every libertarian and every communist must do their utmost to unite the ranks of the protestors and endeavour to spread and expand them. We all need to escalate the demands of the downtrodden, workers, youth and women and come up with clear and radical demands and turn them into a unifying rallying call to intensify the struggle. At the same, we must be very aware to prevent the authorities and the reactionary forces from derailing the legitimate struggles of the people.

Living a decent, free and humane life is a fundamental human right that should be enjoyed by all, including the deprived sections of the community. We must advocate and demand these basic rights as the very minimum demand of all the protests and demonstrations. It is paramount that people everywhere, in their communities and places of work and study, are mobilised and organised around these demands. This is the only way that we can ensure these protests are successful, lead to a better living condition, and put the protestors in a better position to advance their causes.

We, workers, women and the youth, and all deprived masses will not settle for anything less than the demise of the Islamic Republic. We want a free, equal and just society and the downfall of the Islamic regime is only the first step in this path.

Long Live Freedom and Equality!

Down with Islamic Republic!

Worker-communist Party of Iran- Hekmatist (Official Line)

December 29, 2017