Widespread protests took place across Iran in April, organised by enraged Iranian citizens, over the current conditions they are facing in the country. At every stage, the Iranian regime strived to quell the unrest. President-elect of the National Council of the Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Maryam Rajavi has spoken out in response to the ongoing protests.

On April 11, retirees and pensioners protested outside government buildings and social security offices in Tehran, and 26 other cities, against oppression, dire living conditions, low salaries and the increase in prices that are making it impossible for them and their families to survive. In Tehran, the State Security Force (SSF) blocked the pensioners and attacked anyone trying to take videos of the event to prevent news of the rally from spreading.

Maryam Rajavi said: “The nationwide protests by the dignified retirees reflects the cries of protests by all Iranians to obtain their pillaged rights by the mullahs’ usurper and corrupt regime.”

April 21 saw hundreds of defrauded investors protesting and marching over the plundering of their property and savings by the clerical regime on the country’s stock market. The rallies took place in Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan and Tabriz, with calls for the boycott of the mullahs’ sham presidential election. Some of the chants from protesters included; ‘Stealing from the nation’s pocket, while the Supreme Leader keeps silent’, ‘We will not vote, we have not seen any justice’, and ‘Rouhani, reviving the stock market is more important than reviving the JPCOA’.

In her response, Maryam Rajavi emphasized that “as long as the religious dictatorship remains in power, plundering, state corruption, poverty, inflation and unemployment will continue to increase”.

On April 24, 3,000 Isfahani farmers gathered in Isfahan to protest their water rights and prevent the diversion of the Zayandeh-Rud river. The Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of the city had warned that any rally without the permission of the Provincial Security Council in regards to the river issue was prohibited, but the protest went ahead regardless.

Elsewhere, investors of the Azvico Company protested about the plundering of their investments that had been under the pretext of car purchases. Protesters were attacked by the SSF who tore up their placards and beat them.

Maryam Rajavi saluted the farmers and investors and said: “The protests and rallies by different sectors of the society…with slogans such as ‘The government betrays, the leader supports’…and ‘We will not rest until we gain our rights’ displays the Iranian people’s determination to overthrow the clerical regime and establish freedom.”

More recently, April 28 saw the SSF trying to cut down walnut trees in the village of Kahman Aleshtar in Lorestan province. These trees are the source of income for the people in the region and for years, the locals endured great hardships to grow them. A Special Forces unit fired tear gas and opened fire on protesters injuring many people, 30 of which were women who had led the protests.

Maryam Rajavi condemned the SSF’s ‘heinous crime’ and called on the people and youth of Aleshtar and surrounding areas to help the wounded.