In a capitalist system with a war economy, financing the costs of war and imperialist conflicts—whether in metropolitan countries or peripheral societies—is only possible by further squeezing the standard of living of the working class. In this process, the ruling class, through the implementation of austerity measures, cuts to social services, wage suppression, and even failure to pay part of salaries and benefits, shifts the financial burden of war onto the working class. The result of these policies is a continuous decline in workers’ living standards, rising inflation and prices, and an increasingly difficult struggle for survival. This pressure is particularly intense in the peripheral countries of capitalism, where it has devastating consequences for the working class and the most vulnerable segments of society.

For an extended period, the municipal workers of Takab had been demanding the payment of their overdue wages and entitlements. In response to these ongoing demands, they held a protest rally on 3^th March 2025 in the municipality courtyard to demand the payment of their outstanding wages.

The gathering was entirely peaceful, with the workers merely demanding the payment of their overdue wages and entitlements. However, instead of responding to their demands, the municipal authorities and the city council alerted the police to intervene and suppress the protest. The police proceeded to assault the protesting workers and, after firing on them, injured four workers.

After the suppression of the workers’ protest, the child of one of the injured workers posted an audio file on their Instagram page, in which they said:

“My father was simply asking for what was rightfully his, but instead of receiving his New Year’s benefits, they shot him with four bullets. This was unjust. All my father wanted was what was rightfully his.”

Following this bloody shooting, the security forces sought to remove any documents and evidence related to the repression from the public sphere. Under pressure from the authorities, even the families of the injured workers were forced to delete their reports and posts. This action highlights that repression is not confined to physical force; it also includes efforts to suppress the truth and prevent its dissemination, which forms a key part of the bourgeois system of suppression.

The repression of the municipal workers in Takab recalls another brutal crackdown that occurred in 2003 at the Khatoonabad copper mine. In that incident, security forces opened fire on protesting workers from both the ground and the air, resulting in the deaths of four workers and one student, while many others were left injured.

This is not the first time that workers’ protests have been met with repression and violence, nor will it be the last. The bourgeoisie mistakenly believes that repression can halt the class struggle. However, these protests are deeply rooted in the capitalist system itself, where wage slavery and exploitation drive workers to resist. As long as capitalism persists, workers’ protests will continue.

Workers’ protests and strikes have increased in recent years, yet their fragmentation, coupled with a lack of coordination and class solidarity, has hindered the formation of a genuinely united working class. The isolated nature of these protests, along with the lack of involvement from workers’ families, has been a significant weakness, allowing the bourgeoisie to suppress them more easily. Only through unity and class solidarity can we effectively resist and confront this repression.

Defending and standing in solidarity with workers’ protests not only supports the demands of the working class but also makes their suppression more difficult. In our struggles, we must rely solely on our class power and solidarity with fellow workers. The coordination and unification of workers’ protests and strikes not only demonstrate class solidarity but also strengthen the collective power of the working class. This unity not only hinders repression but also lays the groundwork for elevating the class struggle to a higher level. With their inherently anti-capitalist nature, workers’ protests have the potential not only to spread across borders but also to challenge capitalist governments themselves.

The Future Belongs to the Class Struggle!

F.A.

7 March 2025

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