ILNA reports that thousands participated in May Day demonstrations in Tehran and the International Workers Day was finally marked after “an eight year hiatus” with a parade by Iranian workers.

May Day Parade in Tehran

ILNA reports that the demonstrations began at 10 AM with two thousand people in front of the Worker’s House and demonstrators marched to Palestine Square where they ended the march at noon.

The report indicates that the police had made some efforts to prevent groups from merging into the march but finally they all managed to join the demonstrations in scattered groups at Palestine Square.

The report indicates that with persistence from the crowd, the police finally relented and opened the entries to Palestine Square which resulted in a gathering of ten thousand people.

Images of the demonstrators reveal workers carrying protest placards calling for fair wages, benefits and job security.

Iranian authorities have denied issuance of a permit for demonstrations on the International Workers Day in the past years. Independent labour groups are not allowed to carry out activities and labour activists are repeatedly subjected to persecution as well as prosecution.

On Wednesday a number of prominent union activists were arrested in the countdown to the International Worker’s Day.

With the coming to power of the Rohani administration, there had been great expectations that workers would get permission to stage demonstrations on May Day.