Recent violent encounters have highlighted the ongoing mistreatment of poor street vendors in Iran by municipality agents.
On the afternoon of December 17, Malayer (west of Iran) municipality agents in Azadi Square, beat a number of fruit vendors in Azadi Square, according to the state-run ISNA news agency.
The vendors were injured and taken to hospital. “My brothers and I own several shops in Azadi Square in Malayer,” one of the vendors explained. “Yesterday morning, while I was resting, I noticed that the municipality agents were gathering our fruits”. He said that after protesting, agents clashed with them and beat them with batons. “In the clash, my brother’s leg and head were injured. The baton marks are evident on his body and mine,” he added.
Another incident, captured on cell phone video, happened on December 22, 2017, in Mashhad, northeastern Iran, at the corner of Sajjad overpass.
In the scene, the municipality agents can be seen, assaulting the vendor who weighs people with his balance.
Video of the incident has spread across social media, triggering Mashhad residents’ reaction with many people asking for clarity on the issue, according to the state-run Tasnim news agency.
Another shocking video shows the moment a young street vendor was beaten up by municipality agents and the State Security force in Tehran municipality 6th district.
The last moments of the attack were captured on video. Watching the footage and seeing the SSF and municipality agents violently pushing the young vendor into their car. The state-run media outlets also reported the incident.
