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IRAN – Protests against water shortages

All of July, protests have been ongoing in Iran against water shortages and low wages. Against the forces of US imperialism and its policy of “destabilization” the popular masses have to learn to struggle in their own way.


The heavy protests back in July started with a water shortage in the southwest Khuzestan province. There, on July 15th, protests broke out. The protests soon spread to the nearby city of Aligoodarz in western Lorestan province. Protesters were shot. The Iranian rulers are blaming the "suspicious bullets shot by some unknown people who penetrated among peaceful protesters". The so-called “human rights watch”, loyal to US imperialism talks of about 10 deaths killed by anti-riot police and security agents. At least 102 people are said to be arrested.


On July 26th Protests were reported in Tehran and Karaj, west of the capital.The protests in support of Khuzestan have also been reported in Isfahan, Tabriz, Bojnourd, Saghez, and other big cities. While it is in the interest and nature of the imperialists to lie and deceive, especially about these protests, there is evidence to prove that those protests are big enough and not “peaceful”

And this anger of the masses is justified. The people of Iran have been suffering under extremely hard living conditions for over two years, that have come with the sanctions of US imperialism and it’s allies, like the European imperialists that have led to hunger and drought in Iran. There were severe water shortages caused by asevere drought in Khuzestan, that left 700 villages without water. This was exacerbated by the destruction of natural resources through Iran’s oil production. 80 percent of Iran's oil fields and 60 percent of the country's natural-gas reserves are located in this province. These wealth, instead of profiting the locals, will benefit only the Russian, Chinese, and partly also European monopolists. The reason US imperialism supports the justified protests, is because it wants to exploit these resources and workforces for itself in it’s desperate plan to get out of it’s deepening crisis. However, this his is a task that is historically impossible.


Workers, including thousands in the key energy sector, and pensioners have protested for months in Iran, with discontent growing over mismanagement, high unemployment and an inflation rate of more than 50%. The last elections in Iran showed 48.8 percent turnout, the lowest in Iranian history since the revolution.


The deepening crisis of the Iranian rulers, is also a result of their inconsequence to defend Iran’s national interests, because of their character as puppets from the imperialists. But the protests are mainly a sign of the crisis of US-imperialism and its allies, that are playing their game of destabilization and “regime change”. Western media reported that protesters chanted “"Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I sacrifice my life for Iran."That slogan has been chanted for decades by those who oppose the Iranian government's policy of providing financial aid and weapons to Palestinian militant groups and Hizballah fighters in Lebanon.”The forces instigated by US imperialism to support it’s sinister plans of gaining colonies and creating more “failed states” like Iraq and Afghanistan, of deepening the national oppression of Palestine and Lebanon are trying to gain leadership of these protests. The popular masses, the peasantryand the working class need to go their own way to national liberation and democratic revolution, against the attacks of US-imperialism.


 


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