Informed Comment Homepage

Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion

Header Right

  • Featured
  • US politics
  • Middle East
  • Environment
  • US Foreign Policy
  • Energy
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • About
  • Archives
  • Submissions

© 2025 Informed Comment

  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Corruption

Iranian Protesters demand Justice after Deaths in Abadan’s Building Collapse

Global Voices 06/03/2022

Tweet
Share
Reddit
Email

Written by Fred Petrossian | –

( Globalvoices.org) – Hundreds of Iranians took to the streets in Abadan, the capital of the southwestern oil-rich province of Khuzestan, demanding justice after a 10-storey Metropol building collapsed on May 23, killing at least 29 people.

Eyewitnesses say security forces used teargas and gunfire to disperse crowds

Officials said 37 people were also wounded and it remains unknown how many people may still be trapped under the rubble as rescue operations continue.

The protesters in Abadan chanted against “corrupt authorities” and “Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran”. Some also chanted pro-Pahlavi dynasty slogans, in reference to the monarchy that ruled the Islamic republic before the 1979 revolution.


At least 29 people were killed after a metropol building collapsed in Iran’s city of Abadan, triggering protests in several areas across the country. Image used from Tasnim News Agency, under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Several mourners chanted slogans against Hossein Abdolbaghi, the builder and owner of Metropol who reportedly has strong ties with the authorities. Iranian officials initially announced Abdolbaghi’s arrest, then reported that he was among the dead, prompting many to reject the official claim that he is among the casualties.

On social media, videos taken of the protests showed Abadan security forces using tear gas and gunfire to disperse protesters.

Thousands of Abadan residents took to the streets to protest against the incompetence of the Islamic Republic's regime after the catastrophic collapse of the #Metropol، building and chanted anti-government slogans#IranTruthpic.twitter.com/8qt4AUqJDT

— Fariba🦋 (@fariba1121) May 26, 2022

Aside from protesting, many civilians also lined up to donate blood for the injured and many citizens from Abadan and other cities hurried to help with rescue efforts.

When Iranian authorities, including Ali Khamenei, ordered an investigation into the disaster and punishment of those accountable, several other demonstrations of solidarity with Abadan were held in other cities like Khorramshar, Shahin Shar, Ahvaz, Yazd and Behbahan.

“Epidemic” of corruption

The tragedy stoked the anguish of many against authorities for turning a blind eye toward reports that have warned against poor safety standards in construction and the building’s weak structure.

Iran Construction Engineering Organization, a Tehran-based NGO that provides engineering advice and has contracts with several municipalities and Iran’s government, announced that they had warned the municipality about the danger.

Critics have repeatedly drawn attention to corruption in the building permits and private and state-linked construction projects for rebuilding Abadan after the Iran-Iraq war, amid complaints of poor quality construction practices.

Previously, one of Tehran’s city official said Iran has an ‘epidemic’ of municipal corruption.

Iran’s corruption is not limited to one city or municipality. Occasionally, Iranian officials openly accuse each other of corruption. Recently, a leaked audio of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps officials indicated the embezzlement of $3 billion, which is directly under command of Khamenei, while press often report on millions, or even billions, of dollars have gone “lost” or “vanished” within Ministries or banks.

Written by Fred Petrossian.

Via Globalvoices.org

Filed Under: Corruption, Dissent, Iran

About the Author

Global Voices is an international community of writers, bloggers and digital activists that aim to translate and report on what is being said in citizen media worldwide. A non-profit, it is incorporated in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Primary Sidebar

Support Independent Journalism

Click here to donate via PayPal.

Personal checks should be made out to Juan Cole and sent to me at:

Juan Cole
P. O. Box 4218,
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2548
USA
(Remember, make the checks out to “Juan Cole” or they can’t be cashed)

STAY INFORMED

Join our newsletter to have sharp analysis delivered to your inbox every day.
Warning! Social media will not reliably deliver Informed Comment to you. They are shadowbanning news sites, especially if "controversial."
To see new IC posts, please sign up for our email Newsletter.

Social Media

Bluesky | Instagram

Popular

  • The Day Evin Prison Burned: Why Israel's Attack Crossed a Moral Line
  • America's worsening Solar Gap with China, which installs 100 Panels per Second
  • The Assault on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: The US v. Canada
  • How Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York City mayoral Primary could Ripple across the Country
  • Netanyahu's 'New Middle East:' Same old Colonialism

Gaza Yet Stands


Juan Cole's New Ebook at Amazon. Click Here to Buy
__________________________

Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires



Click here to Buy Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam


Click here to Buy The Rubaiyat.
Sign up for our newsletter

Informed Comment © 2025 All Rights Reserved