On June 20, 1981, while the nascent regime of Ruhollah Khomeini was tightening the noose around the freedoms that the people of Iran had fought for in the 1979 revolution, the PMOI launched a demonstration to remind the Khomeini regime of its responsibilities to respect the fundamental freedoms of the Iranian people. In Tehran, more than 500,000 people attended the demonstration, which hadn’t been publicly declared in advance.
In response, Khomeini ordered the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to open fire on the unarmed and peaceful protesters. On the morrow of the June 20 demonstration, the Iranian regime launched a ruthless crackdown against all opposition forces, especially the supporters and members of the PMOI. The regime’s forces chased and executed many of the Mojahedin’s members in the streets, and thousands were dragged into the regime’s prisons, where they were subjected to inhuman tortures and were later executed. Women, children, elderly—no one was spared.
June 20 marked a turning point in the history of Iran and the beginning of all-out resistance against the mullahs’ regime. It became clear that this regime cannot be reformed and freedom can only be restored through regime change. Shortly after June 20, the PMOI and other resistance groups founded the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the longest-standing resistance coalition dedicated to overthrowing the mullahs’ regime and establishing a free and democratic republic.
Every year, the Iranian Resistance commemorates the June 20 demonstration and the tens of thousands of PMOI members and supporters who laid down their lives for freedom.
This year, PMOI Resistance Units carried out activities across Iran to commemorate June 20 and reiterated their commitment to continue the path of 120,000 martyrs for freedom in Iran.
In Amol, Resistance Units members held placards that read “June 20 is the turning point in the historical resistance for freedom” and “Since June 20, 1981, the people of Iran have been seeking the overthrow of the mullahs’ regime.”
In Tehran, the Resistance Units installed large posters in different locations with the photo of Iranian Resistance leader Massoud Rajavi and NCRI president-elect Maryam Rajavi with messages such as “June 20 marks the most glorious resistance in Iran’s history against fundamentalism and dictatorship” and “The generation of rebels in Iran has been inspired by the martyrs of June 20” and “On June 20, we defended the honor of the resistance movement.”
PMOI Resistance Units across #Iran commemorate the anniversary of June 20, 1981, which marks the beginning of the all-out resistance against the brutal rule of the mullahs.#PMOI #ResistanceUnits pic.twitter.com/Xw4SumrT1F
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 20, 2024
Other posters in Tehran read “Our choice is Maryam Rajavi” and the emblem of the National Liberation Army of Iran, which was also founded on June 20, 1987.
In Kerman, Ghaemshahr, Tabriz, Shiraz, and Karaj, the Resistance Units celebrated June 20 with images of the Iranian Resistance leadership, appreciation for the sacrifices of the martyrs of the resistance, and pledges to continue the fight against the mullahs’ regime.
Similar activities were held in Hamedan, Ramsar, Gorgan, Sari, Zanjan, Rasht, Lahijan, and Babol. The Resistance Units are carrying out these activities while the regime has increased its efforts to crack down on any kind of support for the PMOI. These efforts include widespread propaganda campaigns, court cases against the organization and its leaders, and increased pressure on the families and supporters of PMOI members in its prisons.
The activities of Resistance Units are testament to the righteousness of the struggle of the PMOI and its members and indication that this struggle will continue till victory.