The MOIS issued a statement, about using “various intelligence, security, and technical” methods to identify and arrest “terrorist teams” and various weapons.

PARIS, FRANCE, March 16, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Iran marked this year’s Fire Festival against the backdrop of six months of anti-regime protests, which have continued across the country despite a brutal wave of the crackdown.

Security forces have killed more than 750 people and arrested tens of thousands to suppress the protests. But people continue to take to the streets every day, calling for regime change and countering the regime’s repressive measures.

Traditionally, the Fire Festival celebrated on the last Tuesday of the Persian calendar year, has been an occasion for protesting the regime. With the current explosive state of society, the regime had taken extra security measures to prevent any type of rally from taking place.

Meanwhile, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) declared a nationwide protest campaign on the Fire Festival. And the people took to the streets nonetheless, celebrated the Fire Festival, and marked the end of the year with slogans such as “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to Khamenei!”

Extreme security measures.

Tasnim News Agency, run by the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, had warned on March 13, “In recent years, the Fire Festival has turned into a battlefield, sometimes accompanied by large explosions.”

Different security authorities had declared preparations ahead of the Fire Festivals. State Security Forces and other intelligence and security bodies were on a state of alert across the country to prevent protests.

According to regime officials, 45,000 troops were deployed in Tehran alone, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)and Basij had resorted to preemptive mass arrests and intimidation campaigns.

According to the semi-official ISNA news agency, the Majlis National Security Committee held a meeting on Monday, in which senior officials from the State Security Forces and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security each gave a report on the measures they had taken to prevent “the disruption of the peace” on the last Tuesday of the year.

On the same day, the MOIS issued a statement, in which it boasted about using “various intelligence, security, and technical” methods to identify and arrest “terrorist teams” and various weapons. Commanders of the State Security Forces issued similar statements in different provinces.

At the same time, the regime’s state-run media outlets engaged in a full-fledged propaganda campaign to dissuade youth from joining the protests, including issuing threats and calling on parents to prevent their children from going out on Tuesday night.

In Tehran, people gathered in various areas such as Qeytarieh, Enghelab Square, Salat Abad, Geisha, Saadat Abad, Shariati township, Nazi Abad, Javadiyeh, Nezam Abad, Sablan, Afsarieh, Haft Hoz Narmak, Tayeb Street, Shahrak Naft, and Fallah 17 district since the beginning of dusk. Defiant youths threw sound grenades, blocked roads, and chanted slogans including “Death to the dictator,” “Death to Khamenei,” “Death to the child-killing government,” “This year is the year of sacrifice, Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown,” “Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) is ripped apart.

Coming to the street is the solution”, “IRGC will heavily suffer this year, death to the regime in its entirety”, turning Fire Festival into a mass uprising against the regime. In Ekbatan, defiant youths burned Khamenei’s photo chanting “After all these years of crime, death to mullahs’ rule (Velayat Faqih).”

In many areas of Tehran, including Shariati township, brave youths threw sonic and incendiary grenades at the motorized repressive units. In other cities, including Karaj, Rasht, Gorgan, Tabriz, Ardabil, Meshginshahr, Urmia, Zanjan, Neishabur, Sabzevar, Qom, Arak, Takestan, Mahallat, Abdanan, Sanandaj, Dehgolan, Mahabad, Saqqez, Divandarreh, Piranshahr, Sardasht, Kermanshah, Kerend, Javanrud, Dalahu, Marivan, Baneh, Oshnavieh, Kamyaran, Bukan, Naqadeh, Khorramabad, Dorud, Taft Yazd, Izeh, Ahvaz, Lali Khuzestan, Bushehr, Kerman, Rafsanjan and Zahedan, people have converged extensively in different areas of the city, and by lighting fires and throwing sound grenades and chanting anti-regime slogans, they staged their nationwide Fire Festival campaign.

The youth of Karaj and Sanandaj chanted “Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the leader.” In Javanrud, people targeted the governor’s office with incendiary materials, and in Rasht, they threw incendiary materials at the municipal building chanting “This is the year of sacrifice, Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown”. In Sanandaj youths in different areas of the city lit fires and chanted “Death to the dictator” and “Death to Khamenei”.

In Kermanshah, youths threw sound grenades while chanting the slogan “Criminal mullahs, Fire is the only answer to you”.

In Bushehr, youths on motorbikes encouraged others to come to the streets by throwing sound grenades. In Saqqez, brave youth barricaded and blocked the street to prevent the repressive forces from passing.

In Bukan, repressive forces attacked the gathering of young people and fired tear gas and bullets at them. Khamenei’s brutal forces shot at a protesting motorcyclist in Saqqez and took his wounded body with them. In Abdanan, the youth engaged in hit-and-run fights with the repressive forces.

In fear of people’s gatherings and the activities of defiance, Khamenei had ordered the Revolutionary Guards, the Ministry of Intelligence, the state security forces, and all subordinate units to be on 100% alert from March 13 to 18.

According to the announced plan, a 45,000-strong control force will be stationed in 250 vulnerable points of Tehran to prevent gatherings and protect sensitive places and government buildings and to “arrest organized rioters, main leaders, and slogan writers.” (Statement of the Security and Anti-Terrorism Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran – March 8).

The Mojahedin Social Headquarters inside Iran called for “a nationwide campaign of Fire Festival in connection with the uprising and the democratic revolution of the Iranian people” on February 24 and emphasized that “on this year’s Fire Festival, let’s lit fires in memory of the martyrs and welcome Nowruz and the new year to overthrow the turbaned Khamenei.” “The only answer of the mullahs is fire.”

Protests continue

In the weeks and days that led to Tuesday, rebellious youth targeted regime buildings and the headquarters of the IRGC and Basij in different cities. They tore and torched propaganda billboards and posters of regime leaders and icons. These measures helped keep the spirit and flame of the protests alive and prepare the society for Tuesday’s protests.

And despite the regime’s threats and measures, the brave people of Iran held protest rallies in many cities on Tuesday. Streets were filled with the sounds of firecrackers and slogans against the regime. Protesters chanted, “Death to Khamenei! Damned, be Khomeini!” “We are back, the uprising continues!” and “Death to the oppressor, be it Shah or the mullahs!” In some locations, protesters clashed with security forces dispatched to quell their rallies.

In others, people blocked roads with fires and took control of streets to obstruct the movement of security forces.

In Zanjan, northwest Iran, protesters burned a monument of former IRGC Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani. In Karaj protesters attacked IRGC buildings to express their hatred of the regime and its oppressive security apparatus. In Mahabad, Saqqez, and across Tehran Province, regime authorities scrambled to contain the situation by sending reinforcements, but to no avail. Protests continued in dozens of cities late into the night.

The Fire Festival protests proved once again that the regime has failed to suppress the protests and the spirit of the uprising that began in September. This is a revolution in the making that will not be stopped until the people of Iran realize their dreams of a free, democratic republic.

Shahin Gobadi
NCRI
+33 6 61 65 32 31
email us here

Iran’s people mark Fire Festival with anti regime protests | March 14, 2023

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