Arak: municipal street sweepers threatened into attending a regime rally

According to messages from citizens in Arak, officials in Markazi province have put pressure on the city's municipal street sweepers to attend a regime rally called «Janfadayan» ("those ready to sacrifice their lives"), scheduled for Wednesday, 21 October 2026.

Citizens reported that municipal employees, including street sweepers, have been warned that if they are absent from the rally they will not be allowed to work for up to two weeks. According to the same messages, schools in Arak may also be closed on the day of the rally. The report has not yet been confirmed by any other independent source.

Regime rallies with staff under pressure

State media have announced that these rallies will be held in 12 counties, including Arak. In the months since the war and the bloody suppression of the Dey uprising, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly tried to stage a show of popular support in the streets by mobilising government and municipal employees.

Street sweepers are among the lowest-paid municipal workers, and many of them work on temporary contracts through contractor companies; for them, the threat of a two-week work ban means losing a large part of their monthly income. This pressure adds to the other methods the authorities use to control citizens, including threatening text messages from the police intelligence organisation to citizens over their online activity.

Forcing low-paid municipal workers to attend regime rallies is a sign of the Islamic Republic's inability to gather voluntary supporters.