The Massacre of the Copper Melt Workers
in the City of Babak
On January 23rd, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic
regime in Iran attacked the copper melt workers in ”Khaton
Abad” (a region near Baback
city located in the province of Kerman) who had arranged a peaceful
demonstration to protest against low wages and to support the rights of some of
their fellow workers recently laid off. In response to this, the savage state
police forces opened fire on the workers and their families killing 15 and injuring 300.
The protest
started on January 18th when the
copper melt workers went out on strike. Then, taking their grievances to the
authorities, they rallied with their families in front of the “rural police
station”. However, after receiving no response from the authorities, they took
another action. The workers’ next step was to march in Baback
with the slogan: “the poverty line is 300,000 toman (Iranian currency), the line
of bare subsistence is 100,000 toman, while the wages of workers is 70,000.” It was
right after this demonstration that the government, while neither capable of meeting the workers’ demands nor able to deceive and mislead them, found
no way out but to order the opening of fire on the militant workers.
Subsequently,
a widespread wave of arrests has followed the massacre and continues on. At
present, the workers, and in their defense other oppressed sectors of people,
are on strike to protest against the government. In the meantime, the release
of all the arrested which now numbers 500 is their
immediate demand. Daily life in Baback has come to a standstill due to the fact that in
spite of all the intimidating and barbaric actions of the armed forces, people
continue to resist the government.
Down with the
Islamic Regime in Iran!
Long live
socialism!
With
confidence in the victory of our path!
The Iranian
People’s Fedaee Guerrillas – 25.01.04