NICOSIA, Cyprus – Iran’s teacher’s union has called a two-day strike starting Sunday over deadly attacks on schoolchildren in a crackdown on hijab protests sparked in Iran by the death of Mahsa Amini.
The death of 22-year-old Amini, after her arrest for allegedly violating Iran’s suppressive women’s dress code, has sparked the Islamic republic’s biggest protests in years.
Activists say at least 27 children have been killed, and that students and teachers are among the thousands arrested in the crackdown; union says many educators held without charge
The charge was led by young women, university and schoolgirls, who removed their headscarves, chanted anti-government slogans and faced security forces in the streets. Iranian government had turned hard on ‘Hijab Protestors’, which clearly denied to relax suppressive Clothing for women in the country.
The Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Unions called a strike on Thursday in response to the crackdown, which Amnesty International said cost the lives of at least 23 children.
The Oslo-based Iranian Human Rights Organization said security forces killed at least 27 children and that children and teachers were among the thousands arrested in the crackdown.
“The coordination council announces strikes for Sunday and Monday. We teachers will be present in the schools but will refrain from being present in the classrooms,” the company said in a statement posted on its Telegram channel.
“We know very well that military and security forces and civilian (officers) have disrupted schools and education centers,” it said.
“During this systematic oppression, they mercilessly took the lives of a number of students and children; from Nika (Shahkarami) and Sarina (Esmailzadeh) to Abolfazl (Adinezadeh) and Asra Panahi.”
The four, all teenagers, were killed by Iranian security forces during a crackdown on nationwide protests that rights groups say have erupted since Amini died in custody on September 16.
The teachers’ union said in a statement that “a large number of teachers have been arrested” without being charged.
“The rulers must know that … Iranian teachers do not tolerate these atrocities and tyranny and claim that we are for the people, and these bullets and missiles that you shoot at people are aimed at our lives and souls,” the statement said.
“This is why the Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Unions supports the legitimate protests of people across Iran and condemns the killings and oppression of the past weeks.”
She vowed that “we will continue our protest until the people’s right to protest is recognized, all students are unconditionally released and return to schools, the system stops killing people and children, and stops responding to people’s legitimate demands with bullets.”