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Iran Focus
 Tehran, Iran, May 02 – Iran’s State Security
Forces (SSF) and special anti-riot police attacked a peaceful demonstration
by bus drivers and conductors in the Iranian capital on Monday on the
occasion of International Workers’ Day, eye-witnesses told Iran Focus in an
email interview.
Close to a 1,000 protestors gathered on Monday outside the Tehran Bus Company
(TBC) headquarters to protest against the arrest and sacking of many of their
colleagues for taking part in protests against the government in recent
months.
The demonstration began at just after 9 a.m. with several
hundred transit workers and a handful of students taking part, according to a
student who had joined the protest.
Soon after, many more students joined the demonstration in unity with the
transit workers. They began to chant anti-government slogans and held up
banners demanding the release of jailed transit workers.
As agents of the SSF detained several students and cordoned off the streets
around the TBC building, the protest grew louder and more unruly
At 12.30 the orders came to arrest or disperse the demonstrators. Agents of
the SSF and anti-riot police used electric batons to attack the protestors. Several
transit workers fell to the ground after being struck at with the batons.
Several transit workers and a dozen students were arrested in the ensuing
clashes.
Iranian authorities launched a heavy crackdown on the transit workers in
January, arresting large numbers of bus drivers who had decided to go on
strike.
In February, agents of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS),
the country’s secret police, conducted night raids into the homes of striking
bus drivers and workers in Tehran, arresting more than a thousand people on
political charges.
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