He Wants to Change Iran from his Street Stall

Every morning at 11 o’clock, Ali Shamsi sets up his stand in Tehran’s Vali Asr Square. After he arranges his merchandise he makes sure to set up his placards too. And then he gets to work.

Ali, 27, makes a living by selling candles and incense. But he is no ordinary street vendor. Like a full-fledged sociologist, he responds to every social event, online and off. He uses social media, his bulletin boards and his placards to raise awareness about the issues he feels passionately about. His placards display photographs and comments about current political and social issues, grabbing the attention of passers-by and prospective customers alike. One day he displayed a photograph of the country’s most popular classical singer, Mohammad Reza Shajarian, which led people to gather near his stall, discussing state-run television’s recent decision not to air the singer’s Ramadan prayer. On another day, he displayed photos of firefighters at the scene of the disastrous fire that brought down Tehran’s Plasco Building in January. During the campaign for the 2017 presidential election one of his signs read: “We street vendors vote for Mr. Rouhani to support our demands.”

Ali, 27, hopes that one day street vending will be officially recognized as a job. Then vendors can establish a union and they can call for their rights to be respected. The day after the presidential election, Ali transformed his noticeboard to a “demands billboard.” On the corner of board is the hashtag “#Demands” followed by whatever he wants to promote that day. “I changed my billboard to a demands board so that we will not forget,” he posted on Twitter, along with a link to the President Rouhani’s official webpage.

Ali is also known as the “Illiterate Vendor,” the handle he uses on social media, often accompanied by a hashtag of the same name. He is, of course, anything but illiterate. But for him, literacy means something quite big. After graduating from high school, he studied software development at university for five semesters but then dropped out to pursue his dream of studying arts and animation. He is confident that one day he will do it.

A Cultural Center on the Street

Ali’s activism is not limited to his boards and social networking. He has set up a small lending library next to his stall. The sign beside it reads: “Take it, read it and return it!” He’s become known for it, and now many of his customers come to him to borrow books. Some of them also donate books. Every week he introduces a new book on social networks — something he has read and enjoyed.

Live music is another of Ali’s interests. Every Tuesday he invites a street musician to play next to his stand. His social media posts encourage customers and members of the public to participate, and after the performances, he shares videos of the concerts online.

Thursday is “garbage collection” day. Ali and some of his street vendor friends — many of whom also regularly share their experiences on social networks — do volunteer work collecting trash. Each week, he number of volunteers increases. Last week Ali posted that a man who saw them collecting garbage was so inspired by their efforts that he immediately he bought a pair of gloves and joined them.

Fridays are a completely different story. That day, Ali and his friends help out underage street vendors. Not long ago, Ali posted a photo of a teenage boy who was taking notes at the Wildlife Museum. “He sells fortune-telling cards at Vali Asr Square, wipes windshields at Palestine Square and takes notes of important [displays] at Wildlife Museum,” read the caption. Friday is also a day of relaxation and entertainment. They go to museums and parks, discuss books, and exchange anecdotes and stories.

Ali started street vending when he was a teenager, and he continued doing it even when he was studying at university. He tells his followers on social networks that he enjoys his job, and that he’s proud he’s able to make a living and has more freedom because he is his own boss. And in many ways, his job is much more far-reaching than it might seem on the surface. He does much more than sell candles and incense sticks to passerbsy. He raises awareness about social issues, he generates debate, he puts street vendors in touch with one another, he shows the public what the life of a street vendor is like, or at least what his is like.

It’s not a bad life, he must think as he sets up his stall under a white mulberry tree, its branches bright with green leaves. It’s the start to another day.