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Anxieties Grow in Iranian Kurdish Town as Strike Enters 11th Day

by Ali Javanmardi

   IRBIL, IRAQ/WASHINGTON --

   Iranian Kurdish shopkeepers have extended a strike in a northwestern
   border town to an 11th day as they protest Tehran's policies in the
   region, causing some distress within the local community.

   Residents of Baneh who contacted VOA Persian via social media shared
   images of stores remaining closed Wednesday, as part of a strike that
   began April 15.

   Shop workers are protesting the Iranian government's monthslong closure
   of border footpaths that they rely upon for trade with Iraq's Kurdistan
   region. Baneh's economy is dependent on the sale of imported products
   from Iraq. Residents have said their inability to import has crippled
   economic activity.

   But some locals said the prolonged closure of Baneh's stores has raised
   tensions between supporters of the strike and people who want to buy
   and sell everyday goods. They said groups of strike supporters have
   searched for store owners who opened for business and pressured them
   into closing under threat of taking pictures of the open stores and
   sharing them on social media.

   Some shopkeepers have complained of losses from food products that have
   spoiled during the closure.

   Other residents said that when people need to buy food, they contact
   shopkeepers covertly and make purchases at night under cover of
   darkness. But they said many locals are sympathetic to the strikers.

   This report was produced in collaboration with [1]VOA's Persian
   Service. Michael Lipin contributed additional reporting from
   Washington.

   Michael covers international news for VOA on the web, radio and TV,
   specializing in the Middle East and East Asia Pacific. Follow him on
   Twitter [2]@Michael_Lipin

References

   1. https://ir.voanews.com/
   2. https://twitter.com/Michael_Lipin