‘We were poor already’: Kurds in Iran vow to continue fuel price hike protests

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Hundreds of people blocked major roads with their vehicles in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj, western Iran to protest a government decision to triple the price of fuel.  The demonstration later turned violent as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters.

US economic sanctions, imposed after President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal, have caused a large dent in the government’s coffers as oil exports dropped dramatically.  In response, the government of President Hassan Rouhani has tried to boost the petrochemical industry, including by increasing petrol exports to neighboring countries since late July.

Despite its huge crude oil reserves, Iran was a net importer of petrol for decades. However, oil minister Bijan Zanganeh announced the country had become self-sufficient in petrol production earlier this year.

The moment the government announced the price hikes on once heavily subsidized fuel on Thursday night, people took to the streets. Demonstrations intensified on Friday night, with one protester killed as crowds set a petrol station alight in the central town of Sirjan and attempted to torch the city’s fuel depot.

Related: Iran fuel protests: One reportedly killed as demonstrations spread across the country

In Sanandaj, the vehicles blocked the main roads of Firdaws, Iqbal Square and the three lane Adab road to protest the hike in fuel prices from 1000 to 3000 tomans and prevented any attempt to break the blockade. 

"Unfortunately, this [price hike] was a sudden decision shocking us all," Ismael Shkur, a 50-year-old taxi driver participating in the blockade told Rudaw English. "It is just that I am roaming the streets until dusk for just 50,000 tomans [$4] dollars a day."

To cope with the increasing fuel price, "taxi fares must be increased three times," he said, a decision largely "affecting the poor".

"I just cannot understand what made officials make such a decision. They want to deceive us into believing that with the increased fuel price, they can pay an amount of money to the people."

The Iranian public will not accept the price hike, Shkur said. 

"We were poor already, and this decision will make us poorer," he decried, believing the state’s decision will impact other aspects of life too.

"This decision will directly impact goods and services including food, and rent prices," he said. "Inflation has already haunted Iran. The anger of the people of Iran has indeed reached its peak. I will stay on strike, even if I know I will suffer financially."

Elsewhere on the Adab road, a 32-year-old woman is encouraging other strikers not to end their protests.

“When I came from Saqqez to Sanandaj last night I paid 50,000 tomans, while just one day before, I paid just 20,000 tomans from Sanandaj to Saqqez."

"Why should we pay the price for our country's hostilities with America?" she asks. 

"This is a simple indicator that this decision will impact every other part of life," she said.

"The problem is not just the fuel price increase,” she explains. "Just now, my landlord called me and said I must pay an extra 200,000 tomans in rent [from next month] due to this decision."

Chronic poverty in the Kurdish regions of Iran has forced many people to use their private vehicles as taxis to make a living for their families.

"Though I had to pay rent and we were an impoverished family, we would still make ends meet as I was making a living out of this old modeled car. With this new situation, I will have to make money to pay for the price of fuel or rent for my home," said Abdulla Nasri, 50 who drives a 1995 model Peugeot.

He holds little hope the situation will improve.

"If taxi fares increase, I am sure people will choose to go on foot and maybe they will not even be able to set foot in a car. This will be true to me because I mainly work in poor neighborhoods," Nasri says.

"Now I have to think of getting another job and as you can see, I am a 50-year-old man. What can I really do?" he asked.

Students who make journeys between campus and their hometowns will also be impacted by the decision. 

Among those protesting was a 21-year-old university student, who said Iran's battle with the US has created the current conditions. 

"It is clear that US sanctions on Iran has created a situation that I have no doubt people will make people much poorer than they are," Zanko said, adding he is worried it will become increasingly difficult for him and his friends to visit their families. 

"The cost of my round trips by taxi was just 50,000 tomans from Sardasht to Sanandaj and vice versa, but it has now become 150,000 tomans," Pizhman, a Sardasht native and third year student at university in Sanandaj said. "It will become very difficult for me to easily visit my family now."

Translation by Zhelwan Z. Wali