Collection of news coverage on 1 May protests in Iran

The NewYork Times
.Intimidation in Iran Keeps Protesters From Rally

A planned demonstration in which Iranian workers were to join reformists in an antigovernment protest failed to materialize on Saturday, apparently the result of intimidation and a large police presence.

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Radio Free Iran

Students Vocally Protest Ahmadinejad

Persian Letters
Students Vocally Protest Ahmadinejad
May 02, 2010



Iranian opposition websites are reporting that a number of students at Tehran University on May 1 protested against Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, who was visiting the university to attend a ceremony.

The opposition website "Jaras" reported that "several hundred" students protested against the Iranian president and chanted slogans. The students were reportedly not allowed in the hall where Ahmadinejad was giving a speech.

The above video is reportedly from the protest. The students are chanting "Shame on you dictator, leave the university alone."

Here is another video, reportedly from the same protest, where students are chanting "Students, Workers, Unity, Unity."

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LATimes

IRAN: Videos of weekend clashes over labor issues show opposition vitality

"We are Neda! We are Sohrab!" the students chanted, in reference to Neda Agha-Soltan and Sohrab Aarabi, two protesters killed in last year's post-election political violence. "We are all one voice!"

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Peyvand News

Political prisoners express solidarity with Iranian workers
A group of Iranian political prisoners announced that on May 1, on the occasion of International Worker's Day followed by National Teacher's Day they will go on a hunger strike to express their solidarity with Iranian workers and teachers.

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NCRI
Workers' uprising for justice on May Day shows nation arisen to bring mullahs down

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, lauded the uprising by, and solidarity among, Iranian workers, teachers, students and young people against the clerical dictatorship on International Workers’ Day. She said: The protests against the regime with chants of “Down with Khamenei” and “down with the dictator” neutralized the regime’s suppressive ploys designed to prevent rallies. These protests foretell of a nation’s cry for freedom and workers’ perseverance to attain their rights.

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Eurasia Review

Karroubi: Iranian Government Fearful Of People's Movement

Prominent opposition figure, Mehdi Karroubi announced that Islamic Republic's mistreatment of political prisoners reveals the ruling class’s “fear of people’s movement.”

In a meeting with the Policymaking Council of the student organization, Advar-e Tahkim on Thursday, Karroubi criticized government pressure on recently released political prisoners and described such actions indicative of their fear of the people's movement.

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Eurasia Review

Iranian Labour Organizations Announce Their Demands

Ten Iranian labour organizations issued a joint resolution stating their demands at the threshold of the International Workers’ Day on May 1.

The resolution, which was published in the Vahed Transportation Workers Union website, criticizes the harsh condition of workers in Iran and states 15 demands to improve the situation.

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Asia Net
Iranian teachers go on hunger strike to protest arrests and judicial persecution

Teachers want their “critical” colleagues released and an end to the repressive atmosphere within the Education Ministry, which is promoting spying in schools. They also want more support for public schools. Despite a ban by the authorities, independent workers’ organisations announce demonstrations and a week of labour action.

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ElPaso
Iran Reformist Tries to Enlist Labor and Teachers

BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Iranian opposition leader Mir Hussein Moussavi released a video statement on Thursday calling on workers and teachers to join the reformist cause, in a bold new attempt to broaden and energize the country’s flagging protest movement.

The statement came as groups representing laborers and teachers called for demonstrations, and a labor coalition issued its own list of economic grievances to mark International Labor Day, on May 1, opposition Web sites reported.

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NCRI
Iran: 27 executions in past 20 days

With three more hangings reported on Tuesday in cities of Dezful (southern Iran) and Mashhad (northeast Iran) the number of executions in the past 20 days reaches 27.

The state-run daily Quds reported on Tuesday that two prisoners were hanged in Mashhad. It gave no details about the prisoners.

Another prisoner identified as Rahman R. was hanged in Dezful on April 20 (State-run Fars news agency, April 27). On the same day, a prisoner named Reza S. was flogged in public in the southern city of Masjed-suleiman.

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NoSweat
Iranian May Day Statement

- SUPPORT THE IRANIAN WORKERS' STRUGGLE AGAINST ISLAMIST-CAPITALIST REGIME-IASWI BRITAIN

Sample Protest Letter: Free Mansour Osanloo!Free Ebrahim Madadi!

Free Ali Nejati!

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