Iranian jobseekers protesting in Gachsaran in southwestern Iran were beaten and shot at by security forces on Monday as authorities attempted to disperse the demonstration, human rights groups reported.
The young protesters began demonstrating in response to allegations of unethical hiring practices at the Lishtar refinery project, according to the Human Rights Activists’ News Agency. Footage from the protest appears to show police firing guns toward the protesters, with gunfire audible in the footage.
HRANA reported that at least one person was injured, while the Iran Human Rights Center claimed that multiple people were wounded.
Security forces open fire, beat demonstrators
Protests were also reportedly held in Ahvaz, where security forces allegedly opened fire on and beat demonstrators outside the Dabal Khazaei Sugarcane Agro-Industry Company, according to the Karun Human Rights Organization.
Karun alleged that it had received videos and accounts showing armed forces confronting protesters and opening fire. The organization also reported that a witness saw an officer injure his own fingers in an apparent attempt to justify the arrest of protesters.
Protests were reportedly also held elsewhere across Iran, including in the capital, after retired telecommunications workers failed to receive their full back wages and pensions.
On the same day as the protests, Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, threatened a more forceful crackdown on any renewed demonstrations, Iran International reported while sharing footage of his speech.
“If they once again make the mistake of thinking they can create unrest and riots, they can be certain that they will face a very strong and firm response from the police, security and intelligence forces, as well as the judiciary,” Ejei said, adding that the response would be “far more decisive than in all previous periods.”
Iran's economy struggling after war, sanctions
Iran’s economy was already struggling under years of financial mismanagement and sanctions, while the regime’s internet blackout, water crisis, the war with the United States and Israel, and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have further worsened the crisis.
Last week, offshore oil and gas workers reportedly protested in the energy hub of Asaluyeh, insisting that workers who keep production running shouldn’t be facing a livelihood crisis or struggling to pay rent, the semi-official news agency ILNA reported.
The country’s economic situation already led to protests breaking out in December, which the regime violently suppressed in January. Human rights groups have claimed that upwards of 30,000 demonstrators were killed by the regime’s security forces, while Iranian authorities have continued to execute people accused of involvement in the protests.
Food inflation rose by 128% in the month of Tir in the Iranian calendar, from June 21 to July 20, compared with the same period last year, according to the Statistical Center of Iran. Beef, lamb and chicken prices were around 149% higher in July than a year earlier, while dairy prices rose by 147%.
Iranian media has also reported that many have not received their social welfare benefits, furthering the cost of living crisis for some of Iran’s most vulnerable.