General Strike in Iranian Kurdistan

[the last donut of the night]

This was a statement published by the Worker-Communist Party of Iran. I received it as an inbox message as being part of an Iranian communist group. It is as follows:


A big step forward for the Iranian revolution against Islamic regime!

Today, people in Sanandaj, Mahabad, Bokan, Kamyaran, Miaandoaab, Oshnavieh, Nowsood, Piranshahr, Saghez, Baaneh, Divaandareh, Dehgalaan,Naghadeh, Sardasht, Javaanrood, Ravaansar, Rabat and all other cities and towns in Kurdistan carried out a successful general strike, despite undeclared province-wide martial law and all other measures the regime had resorted to. Almost all schools, universities and %80 of shopping centers and work places were closed. Islamic Regime found itself, clearer than ever, surrounded by the ocean of people’s hatred! This strike was not just a powerful, glorious response to the recent cruel executions of 5 political activists. It was not just the expression of the defeat of the regime’s policies of execution and increasing terrorization of the people. It was an act with far-reaching consequences that will severely change the balance of political power against the regime. In a word, it was a significant step forward for the current Iranian revolution against the Islamic regime for freedom and equality.

The general strike in Kurdistan on May 13th, 2010, will be remembered as an historic act, and as an historic day, in the process of the Kurdish people’s struggle in the Iranian revolution. The masses took part in the strike in their millions and broke the wall of the ever-more-severe suppression in Kurdistan, thus pushing the Iranian revolution one significant step forward. It will raise the spirits of the people all across Iran and intensify the regime’s state of desperateness and visionless manyfold. After May 13th, the people in Tehran, Ahvaz, Mashhad, and so on, will feel much stronger in their fight against the Islamic regime!

The mass strike in Kurdistan will also radicalize the current revolution in Iran even further, and swing it more to the left. Kurdistan has always remained the “fortress of the revolution” of 1979. The people in Kurdistan have always said “no” to the murderous Islamic regime. The broadest masses have always shown the deepest hatred towards the regime and all its factions. Now that these masses have set foot in the arena of political struggle to actively determine their fate, they simply show a simple fact ever more vividly, that is, what goes on in Iran is not a movement to “reform” the regime but a revolution to bury it in its entirety. Meanwhile the “revolutionary Kurdistan”, in general, and the “red Sanandaj”, in particular, have been the stronghold of organized left, consistent democrats, and revolutionary communists since 1978-79 revolution. The idea of a general strike in Kurdistan per se, the fact that it was called by the communists, the fact that it gained the support of all political forces in Kurdistan, and the fact that it took such huge dimensions in practice, provide yet another air-tight proof that the Iranian revolution turns more and more to the left as it goes further and further ahead.

The public strike of May 13th in Kurdistan showed something else too. It took place pursuing the extensive, vigorous protests by the Iranians living abroad against the sudden and secret execution of five political prisoners in Iran. These protests were supported by the people within Iran. It all goes to prove, once more, that all the people in Iran share the same destiny in their struggle for liberation. The public strike by the people in Kurdistan was a manifestation of our slogan: ‘“No!” to ethnic state! “No!” to religious state! “Yes” to humanist state!’ Right, nationalist forces, as well the forces of the regime itself, i.e., all the forces that seek to divide the people along ethnic and/or religious lines, received a fierce blow in the public strike in Kurdistan.

Finally, the public strike in Kurdistan was a leap forward also in that it promoted the tactics and forms of struggle, and thus contributed to the clearer articulation of the current revolution. It added, in practice, besides street demonstrations, “public strike” to the tactics of revolutionary struggle. At the present moment the adoption of this tactic is an absolute necessity for the revolution to advance. There is no doubt that today’s move by the heroic people in Kurdistan will set a pattern for the revolution across Iran.

Worker-communist Party warmly salutes the people in Kurdistan and congratulates all freedom-loving people, all the communists and all political parties who made today’s strike a success.

Down with Islamic regime in Iran!
Long live Iran’s humanist revolution for humanistic state!
Long live socialism!

Worker-Communist Party of Iran
May 13, 2010

[S.Artesian]

Appreciate the information, thank you.

[Red Commissar]

These strikes are in response to the recent hanging of the five activists in Tehran, I believe.

How long will it last? More worrisome is that there is a military presence further north towards the area where the Iraq and Turkish border meets fighting Kurdish rebels from PJAK and Komala. If it gets troublesome enough they might come down with the hammer...

Closed shops
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8k-Y7xAo_g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml6CAXKFQnI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZmFLG-4pJM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0thHOl-ig8k

[S.Artesian]

Some more info here:

http://revolutionaryflowerpot.blogspot.com/2010/05/general-strike-only-in-kurdistan.html

[Red Commissar]

In the second one video I posted, it had Kurdish commentary. From what the lady is saying at 0:57 that for store owners who refused to close their shops, the organizers threatened to burn down their shops. But at any rate it seems to be fairly resounding.

They were able to organize a similar general strike last year in July, which closely coincided with the 20th anniversary of the assassination of the PDK-I's leader Ghassemlou in Vienna.

Now if all the people in Iran could organize and go on strike, that would be a sight to see. Like the blog S. Artesian posted, the Kurds seem to be more into this type of activity than the denizens of Tehran.

[Devrim]

In the second one video I posted, it had Kurdish commentary. From what the lady is saying at 0:57 that for store owners who refused to close their shops, the organizers threatened to burn down their shops.

There isn't very much information about this, but from what little I have been able to find, it sounds like one of those 'strikes' where armed men tell shop keepers not to open.

Devrim

[Red Commissar]

If the strike was purely perpetrated by the threat of violence, we probably would have not seen it go much beyond a city, but it seems to be going across the province. That warning goes out more to shop owners who could care less about these things so as long as they turn out profits. Unfortunately there will always be those no matter how well a strike is organized.

Additionally from what I read earlier when the five prisoners were executed, the Iranian government already issued martial law in anticipation of any sort of protest by Kurds in Sanandaj. They would protect shop owners if they were genuinely being bullied into a position, and it would cut into the demonstrations. Yet people still went out of their way to protest. Those who were executed had ties to the region and people were frustrated at what had befallen them.

They've been able to do this like clockwork when they wanted in the past, and there's only so much armed intimidation can go to. What is helping out tremendously in organizing this is the ethnic sentiment/solidarity among Kurds (which substitutes for the lack of a union or single political party solely organizing this) and their opposition to the current Iranian state.

This video claims to show celebrations in Sanandaj after the first night, people cheering and honking their car horns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx91prREiOs

[Devrim]

If the strike was purely perpetrated by the threat of violence, we probably would have not seen it go much beyond a city, but it seems to be going across the province. That warning goes out more to shop owners who could care less about these things so as long as they turn out profits. Unfortunately there will always be those no matter how well a strike is organized.

I have looked for news sources on this, and they are very scarce. All of the ones I can find seem to go come from Worker Communist sources. I don't read Farsi or Kurdish, which are obviously where the main sources would be, but I do read Turkish and Arabic, the other two big local languages where you might expect to pick up some news, as well as English.

So far I have seen nothing about talking about workers on strike except one short mention of it in one city. While I don't know about these events, there is a long history of groups in the Middle East, and further afield, calling a strike, and then insuring that business, mostly small shops, close down with their armed presence.

I don't know if this is what is happening here, but I suspect it is. I would like to know if big workplaces in the region, like for example, KORC, went on strike.

Devrim

[Red Commissar]

I have looked for news sources on this, and they are very scarce. All of the ones I can find seem to go come from Worker Communist sources. I don't read Farsi or Kurdish, which are obviously where the main sources would be, but I do read Turkish and Arabic, the other two big local languages where you might expect to pick up some news, as well as English.

Just looking at some of the farsi articles I've crudely translated with google, they tend to list a number of cities beyond Sanandaj, but all of these are with in the province.


calling a strike, and then insuring that business, mostly small shops, close down with their armed presence.

This would be hard to do if the city is already under martial law though. The Iranian state had already deployed security forces to these regions in anticipation of any violence following the hanging of the five in the prison.

Most of the sources list off a number of cities, however the issue comes off in that there is both a Kurdistan province and then the term for the region. The case here is that it is contained within the Kurdistan province.

Pulling up pictures which seem to be going through one of their nationalist parties,

What is said to be Urmia (which would be outside the province)
http://picasaweb.google.ca/104752788997092216575/UvJvFG#

http://lh5.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-4P42Zz-nI/AAAAAAAABsQ/HSPgVuMYI5I/DSC00047.jpg
http://lh4.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-4P5U8krwI/AAAAAAAABsU/RtGi5-ndygY/DSC00048.jpg
http://lh4.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-4P7yy2ueI/AAAAAAAABso/wrwV3q70elg/DSC00056_2.jpg

Sardhast
http://picasaweb.google.ca/104752788997092216575/GxAoXJ#

http://lh6.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-4AIYuy1iI/AAAAAAAABpA/1okfzZ1BqQw/sardasht%20%284%29.jpg
http://lh3.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-4AJDUYtjI/AAAAAAAABpE/ppXcPHf2bOA/sardasht%20%285%29.jpg
http://lh5.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-4ARPMC4SI/AAAAAAAABp0/0q8L1n04vl8/sardasht%20%2817%29.jpg

Paweh
http://picasaweb.google.ca/104752788997092216575/BmkwPD#

http://lh6.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-3ylVVnMcI/AAAAAAAABoM/pyykgGMV_Fk/DSC00578.jpg
http://lh6.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-3ym8d5NWI/AAAAAAAABoU/eKoUP7P-ttE/DSC00580.jpg

Kamyaran
http://picasaweb.google.ca/104752788997092216575/WBdBFH#

http://lh4.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-3xWw27jjI/AAAAAAAABno/7frhzPJC6rM/2.jpg
http://lh3.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-3xWet0LYI/AAAAAAAABnk/XgokN4bcdPs/12.jpg

Bokan
http://picasaweb.google.ca/104752788997092216575/VuEiv#

http://lh6.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-ut3cy19zI/AAAAAAAABlc/jDnTWzGPhBY/Wen%C3%A9%28071%29.jpg
http://lh5.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-3vDzAgG-I/AAAAAAAABlw/rdR_evLT0UU/Wen%C3%A9%28107%29.jpg
http://lh6.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-3vFeO_0FI/AAAAAAAABl8/MlicmQwXLzk/Wen%C3%A9%28111%29.jpg

Mahabad
http://picasaweb.google.ca/104752788997092216575/zrlHjI#

http://lh4.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-usNe8fBYI/AAAAAAAABf0/uEPleIX6Lyc/Image%282280%29.jpg
http://lh6.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-uvKH4CrwI/AAAAAAAABhI/6i7-7Ec1yBE/IMG0266A.jpg
http://lh6.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-usRnOgcdI/AAAAAAAABgk/Yach72ZSluM/Image%282292%29.jpg

Sanandaj
http://picasaweb.google.ca/104752788997092216575/CBmEeG#

http://lh3.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-4JfQmngCI/AAAAAAAABqk/gPiRAvo0HQE/01%20%2842%29.jpg
http://lh4.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-4Ji6Q-rvI/AAAAAAAABrA/oROUUQxoC24/01%20%2822%29.jpg
http://lh4.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-4JlMIZo2I/AAAAAAAABrQ/fRcGvCKcZq4/1.jpg
http://lh3.ggpht.com/__6Xg1q8e9L4/S-4JnBKoGjI/AAAAAAAABrg/SXAJTcmPw80/pic1.jpg

But again these are not a worker's strikes against conditions or pay. It is a protest against the hanging of the prisoners, as they were unable to do mass demonstrations due to the security forces.

[Devrim]

Just looking at some of the farsi articles I've crudely translated with google, they tend to list a number of cities beyond Sanandaj, but all of these are with in the province.

I would ask two questions. The first one, and by far the most important, is do any of them mention large concentrations of workers being on strike, and the second one is whether any of them come originally from non-worker communist sources.


This would be hard to do if the city is already under martial law though. Why? There has been martial law for years in some of the Kurdish provinces of South Eastern Turkey. What it often means is that, even in the cities, the state controls it by day and the nationalists control it by night.


Most of the sources list off a number of cities, however the issue comes off in that there is both a Kurdistan province and then the term for the region. The case here is that it is contained within the Kurdistan province. There is a Kurdistan province in Iran. However, the areas which is commonly referred to as 'Kurdistan' is much bigger.


Pulling up pictures which seem to be going through one of their nationalist parties,All of the pictures show closed shops. None of them show striking workers, which would tend to reaffirm my point.


But again these are not a worker's strikes against conditions or pay. It is a protest against the hanging of the prisoners, as they were unable to do mass demonstrations due to the security forces.

Is it a workers' strike at all, or is it nationalists enforcing a shut down of small businesses.

Devrim

[Red Commissar]

I would ask two questions. The first one, and by far the most important, is do any of them mention large concentrations of workers being on strike, and the second one is whether any of them come originally from non-worker communist sources.

This is why I emphasized at the end that this is a protest, not a worker's strike.

But I support them at any rate. I can't write them off for being nationalist when they're taking a stand of any sort.


Why? There has been martial law for years in some of the Kurdish provinces of South Eastern Turkey. What it often means is that, even in the cities, the state controls it by day and the nationalists control it by night.

From what I read since 2005 when there were large protests (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/aug/05/iran.michaelhoward), Iran security forces have been tight on what is going on in that region.

The same site also says that on May 10th, following the executions, Iran imposed martial law on the area (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/10/kurds-protest-iran-executions)

With how widespread the protest got, I highly doubt it was purely from armed intimidation because martial law would have made it difficult for them to do that across the entire region.

Is it unreasonable to think that possibly, with how Kurds have been treated in Iran through both the Shah's regime and the Islamic republic, that maybe people are protesting out of disgust with the state?

If we are to take your standpoint and write this off as nationalist thugs forcing people to do what they want, then how does this action go beyond where they are? The Kurdish armed groups that have numbers to "force" a strike, have largely been pushed to the border.

And yet we have people simply doing it. I think you are giving too much credit to the physical strength of the groups in Iran. It really seems at least that many people followed suit because they are not pleased with the recent actions of the Iranian state.


There is a Kurdistan province in Iran. However, the areas which is commonly referred to as 'Kurdistan' is much bigger.

I know, that's what I"m saying. This protest is contained in the cities within the province, not the region in Iran.



All of the pictures show closed shops. None of them show striking workers, which would tend to reaffirm my point.

I was addressing your point that it seems to only be happening in one city, or roving armed thugs forcing people to keep stores closed when there is martial law on the area. The pictures show many cities and villages, and it is a nice sign of choesion.

Though I guess these are petit-bourgeoisie nationalists who deserve to die and have the full wrath of the Iranian state, for not meeting the check list on what a "strike" is.

[Devrim]

This is why I emphasized at the end that this is a protest, not a worker's strike.

That is what I am talking about. It seems to be a protest, yet it is being reported as a workers strike. Yet the Worker Communists are using the term general strike. All I have questioned are the facts of what is actually going on.


The same site also says that on May 10th, following the executions, Iran imposed martial law on the area (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/10/kurds-protest-iran-executions)

With how widespread the protest got, I highly doubt it was purely from armed intimidation because martial law would have made it difficult for them to do that across the entire region.

I am not sure what your point is here. Turkey has had martial law for over forty years of its eighty odd year existence. There was permanent martial law in the South East from 1978-2002. It doesn't stop guerilla campaigns in any way. It is there because the guerilla groups are strong.


Is it unreasonable to think that possibly, with how Kurds have been treated in Iran through both the Shah's regime and the Islamic republic, that maybe people are protesting out of disgust with the state?

Undoubtedly yes. We have seen massive explosions of anger in the Kurdish areas of this country. There have been weeks of rioting, and scores of people murdered by the police, virtually none of it reported in the West. I don't think that this is happening here though. Where are the protests? You showed us pictures of empty streets.


If we are to take your standpoint and write this off as nationalist thugs forcing people to do what they want, then how does this action go beyond where they are? The Kurdish armed groups that have numbers to "force" a strike, have largely been pushed to the border.

Nothing I have heard even suggests that. All the news that I have heard suggests they still have a considerable presence inside the country. Nor have I talked about them being 'nationalist thugs' though I think they are. Neither do I care if they 'force' small shop keepers to shut up for a day. To be honest I don't have that much sympathy with the petit-bourgeoisie.

My point is that I don't see a working class movement here. As I have said information is sparse, but I have seen nothing to suggest that one exists. If there is some, I would like to see it.



Though I guess these are petit-bourgeoisie nationalists who deserve to die and have the full wrath of the Iranian state, for not meeting the check list on what a "strike" is.

Nor did I say that. I don't in anyway support the state's suppression of these people. I am just talking about the nature of the movement.

Devrim

[Red Commissar]

That is what I am talking about. It seems to be a protest, yet it is being reported as a workers strike. Yet the Worker Communists are using the term general strike. All I have questioned are the facts of what is actually going on.



I am not sure what your point is here. Turkey has had martial law for over forty years of its eighty odd year existence. There was permanent martial law in the South East from 1978-2002. It doesn't stop guerilla campaigns in any way. It is there because the guerilla groups are strong.

You can't compare what happens in one country in another. There are conditions in the grounds that need to be taken.

The one causing most of the "violence" is PJAK, and they're mostly confined into the border with Turkey and Iraq. That is what the five were hanged for.


Undoubtedly yes. We have seen massive explosions of anger in the Kurdish areas of this country. There have been weeks of rioting, and scores of people murdered by the police, virtually none of it reported in the West. I don't think that this is happening here though. Where are the protests? You showed us pictures of empty streets.

It's hard to protest on the streets when they already have security forces enforcing the peace. They will come and break down any mass demonstration.

I already posted an article showing the Iranian state had deployed such forces ahead of time. They had large demonstrations in 2005 and many of them got killed, they are constantly getting themselves into jail since then.

They find a way to protest in at least a way to make a statement that the state can't really do anything about.


My point is that I don't see a working class movement here. As I have said information is sparse, but I have seen nothing to suggest that one exists. If there is some, I would like to see it.

So it's bad to protest if it's not a worker's struggle? Or at least what you consider to be a worker's struggle?

If four of my countrymen get hanged, I should just not do anything because they weren't workers?

With that mindset it's no wonder that communists seem to be losing adherents to right-wing groups.



Nor did I say that. I don't in anyway support the state's suppression of these people. I am just talking about the nature of the movement.

With these lofty standards of what constitutes a "worker", it's no wonder why lots of these demonstrations go by with out much thought of the day. It's no wonder that it seems people in these countries lose faith in communism with this kind of mindset.

Even if they aren't "workers" or "communists", they are making a reasonable stance against an oppressive regime, but then again I guess they aren't "hip" or communists to deserve any attention.

The statement by the party in the OP does make a bold claim by saying it's a general strike, but I think that's mostly them trying to act relevant as they've failed to organize any mass action themselves. At any rate I think it seems you're more concerned about the terminology being used here, being the "general strike" when it's more of a protest.

[Devrim]

You can't compare what happens in one country in another. There are conditions in the grounds that need to be taken.


My point is that states of emergency do not stop armed groups from operating. This is the same in both countries.


The one causing most of the "violence" is PJAK, and they're mostly confined into the border with Turkey and Iraq. That is what the five were hanged for.

Well yes, in that the 'boarder area' is what Kurdistan is.


So it's bad to protest if it's not a worker's struggle? Or at least what you consider to be a worker's struggle?

As I said I am merely commenting on the nature of this movement.


Even if they aren't "workers" or "communists", they are making a reasonable stance against an oppressive regime, but then again I guess they aren't "hip" or communists to deserve any attention.

Actually I think it is a lot more 'hip' for people in the US to support nationalist actions than to talk about what the working class is doing.


The statement by the party in the OP does make a bold claim by saying it's a general strike, but I think that's mostly them trying to act relevant as they've failed to organize any mass action themselves. At any rate I think it seems you're more concerned about the terminology being used here, being the "general strike" when it's more of a protest

I think that is my entire point. There isn't a massive workers movement here, but a protest by a nationalist group. I don't think it is 'concern about terminology'. I think it is about understanding what is going on.

Devrim