Slogan of “death to Khamenei, death to principle of velayat-e faqih”; setting pictures of regime’s leaders ablaze
Fire Festival held in Gohardasht prison of Karaj with slogan of “set fire to principle of velayat”
On Tuesday, March 15, Iranian people, especially the youth, widely held the national festivity of Fire Festival in various districts of Tehran and in other cities face to face with the ominous clerical regime.
The Fire Festival was held despite the fact that officials from both factions of the ruling clique strongly warned people through all means of communication not to hold this ceremony and made every attempt to turn this festivity that has become a symbol of protest against the medieval rule of mullahs into an apolitical ceremony.
On Tuesday morning, in an absurd fatwa regarding the Fire Festival, Khamenei stated: “Fire Festival has no basis in the Sharia and is best avoided.”
Mullah Nasser Makarem Shirazi from Khamenei’s faction similarly said that “ignorant people have brought superstitious rituals such as the Fire Festival into their lives, but it should be avoided. People who throw noisy firecrackers to the streets should know that they will be held answerable on the Day of Judgment”.
State Security Forces (SSF) commanders in various cities also resorted to threatening people. Issa Daraei, SSF commander of Khuzestan said: “To bring security to the last Wednesday [Tuesday] of the year, the provincial security forces are on full alert.” He acknowledged that on the election day, 25000 security forces and revolutionary guards had been deployed to provide ‘security’ to the province.
Suppressive agencies not only threatened to detain ‘unruly’ people for the duration of the Persian New Year holidays, but threatened dealers of firecrackers with prison terms of 2 to 5 years. The suppressive forces had been heavily deployed in busy squares and streets in Tehran. The Iranian regime had completely shut down public transportation in Tehran and removed most of the trash bins from the streets fearing that the youth may set them on fire.
However, despite the threats and fearful statements by regime’s leaders, people in various cities throughout the country held the Fire Festival, including in Tehran, Shiraz, Esfahan, Yazd, Fariman, Karaj, Qazvin, Zanjan, Tabriz, Ardebil, Urmia, Ahvaz, Sousangerd, Bandar Abbas, Boushehr, Gachsaran, Sanandaj, Kermanshah, Sardasht, Oshnaviyeh, Javanroud, Semnan, Shahroud, Mashhad, Nayshabour, Bojnourd, Kerman, Shahr Babak, Gonbad Kavous, Sari, Noshahr, Laheijan, Rasht, Gaemshahr, Som’esara, Bandar Anzali, Golestan, Hamedan, Behbahan, Boroujerd, Khorramabad, Kashmar and Parand county.
Political prisoners at Gohardasht (Rajai Shahr) prison in city of Karaj who were stopped by prison henchmen from holding this ceremony outdoors, held this national ceremony with limited resources albeit the watchful eyes of suppressive elements in this prison. Along with the people throughout Iran they chanted “set fire to the ward and to handcuff”, “set fire to tyranny”, “set fire to the impious regime”, “set fire more than before”, “set fire to the principle of velayat” while jumping over a bonfire.
Using loudspeakers in chanting the slogans; writing slogans on the walls or putting up flyers; tearing up or setting pictures of Khomeini, Khamenei, Rouhani and Rafsanjani on fire in various districts of Tehran, Bandar Abbas, Qaemshahr, Kerman, Sari, Bandar Anzali, Golestan and Neyshabour was another aspect of expressing the loath of the youth for the regime of velayat-e faqih in its entirety.
In Tehran, the courageous youth wrote “Death to the principle of velayat-e faqih” over Khomeini’s picture at Vali Asr Square to welcome the Fire Festival and there was a clash between the people and the anti-riot forces there where the youth set one garbage bin on fire. Special Guard forces were deployed in various districts of the city, including Rezaiz (Haft-e Tir) Square, Vanak and Tajrish, and prevented the commute of the people.
A group of the youth gathered in Mellat Park and chanted anti-government slogans. As soon as they began their slogans, units of Special Forces were dispatched to the place. At Vanak Square, plainclothes agents fired shots at people who were resisting them.
In Tajrish district, as well as in Nazi Abad, a group of people jumped over the bonfires while chanting “death to Khamenei”, “death to the principle of velayat-e faqih” and “death to Rouhani”.
Pictures of Khomeini, the founder of the velayat-e faqih system, and Khamenei, the leader of this oppressive regime, were set ablaze at Milad Tower.
Similarly, in sections of the ‘Falakeh Awal’ of Tehranpars, the courageous youth set pictures of Khamenei and Rouhani on fire to symbolize discarding the whole of the religious fascist regime ruling Iran.
In Roudaki Street of Tehran, people resisted security forces that attempted to prevent them from holding the Fire Festival and forced them to retreat.
At 8 pm, at Qiam Square, passionate youth clashed with the anti-riot units that had hurled tear gas at them.
At Fallah Street, the youth held the ceremony while clashing with the suppressive forces.
At Karoun township people jumped over the bonfires while chanting anti-regime slogans.
In city of Karaj courageous youth set a two meters long picture of Khamenei on fire. In this large picture Khamenei held a paper which read: “I am the murderer of the people” They also sent a balloon into the air written on it “Long live freedom”.
The people and the youth in Tabriz put up placards which read “death to the principle of velayat-e faqih” and “Year 95 [Persian New Year of 1395] is the year of overthrow of regime” on the walls of the city to commemorate the Fire Festival.
In city of Qazvin, the youth threw firecrackers at masses of regime’s mercenaries that had been deployed in the streets to terrorize them.
In the city of Yazd, the youth set the picture of Khamenei, leader of the velayat-e faqih regime on fire.
In Bandar Anzali, balloons with the slogans of “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to Khomeini” written on them were sent up the sky of this city.
Various sections of city of Ahvaz, including Kian Pars; various districts of city of Sanandaj, including Salavat Abad; Qalatouk forest park of Ashnavia; the main street of Javanroud; Zafar and Abadani Maskan townships in Kermanshah; the city center, Kouh Namaki and Quran Gate of Shiraz; Kosar Square and 1st square of Haft Bagh Street of Kerman; Takhti Street in Boroujerd; and Parand township in Alborz province where other places where despite unprecedented restrictions and closure of streets and deployment of the suppressive security forces and plainclothes agents at intersections and squares, people held the Fire Festival.
Elements of regime’s suppressive forces that were unsuccessful at stopping people from holding this national ceremony arrested a large number of the youth including at Sanat Square, Narmak, Nezamabad and Gorgan Street of Tehran, as well as in Kermanshah and Urmia.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
March 16, 2016
