The Street Vendors of Shiraz

The street vendors of Shiraz work hard and live in perpetual fear. Not only do they struggle to make a decent income in a volatile economic climate with little or no state support, they work long hours, and municipal officials regularly harass them, arbitrarily forcing them to take their merchandise and move off their patches. In addition, passersby — potentially their customers — often taunt them, arguing that they are blocking the pathway.

Photographs by Samira Zaré for the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA)