Fearing the resurgence of protests during Iran’s Fire Festival (Charshanbe Suri), the regime and its security forces were on full alert. Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) forces, State Security Forces, Basij units, and Ministry of Intelligence agents were deployed in cities across the country to prevent assemblies, celebrations, and anti-regime activities.
But according to reports from various provinces and cities, from the beginning of the afternoon until late into the night, rebellious youth across Iran turned Charshanbe Suri ceremonies into a manifestation of the people’s hatred for the mullahs’ regime and their desire for regime change.
The PMOI social headquarters inside the country had called for a “Nationwide Fiery Fire Festival Campaign” on February 20, 2024.
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.
In all provinces and many cities across the country, the youths celebrated Charshanbe Suri by lighting fires, chanting anti-government slogans, and writing graffiti on city walls. They targeted the centers of IRGC, Basij, SSF, Headquarters of Khomeini’s Order, and Seminaries associated with the mullahs, or set fire to pictures and effigies of Khomeini and Khamenei.
In Tehran’s Tajrish Square, the rebellious youth set fire to pictures of Khamenei and Qasem Soleimani. In Moshiriye and Sarasiab Malard, the youths threw incendiary materials while chanting “Death to Khamenei” and “Executioners! Your end is near!” In Shemiran, the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers filled the air. In Shahriar, people chanted “Death to oppressor, be it the Shah or the mullahs.” In Qaleh Hassan Khan, Tehran, youths blocked the streets with fire.
In Qom, the youths blocked roads with burning tires and celebrated in defiance of the regime’s repressive measures.
In Sanandaj, the youth targeted a Basij base with explosive material and chanted, “Death to oppressor, be it the Shah or the mullahs.”
In Mashhad and Qazvin, the youth celebrated the Fire Festival while chanting slogans against the regime.
In Arak and Saveh, people expressed their hatred for the regime by setting fire to a noose, the symbol of the regime’s rule of violence and executions. The youths chanted the slogan, “Our response to executions is fire and uprising.”
In Ahvaz, the youths celebrated Charshanbe Suri by jumping over fire and chanting, “Death to oppressor, be it the Shah or the mullahs.”
In Kamyaran, people lit fires and chanted, “Death to Khamenei.”
In Isfahan, the youths set fire to tires and celebrated while chanting, “The people will answer [the regime’s repression] with fire.”
In Karaj, the youths chanted, “Our battlefield is Iran, the head of the snake is in Tehran.”
In other cities such as Behshahr, Shahrekord, Babol, Andimeshk, and Lahijan, the youths torched pictures of Khamenei and Qasem Soleimani.
In Kash, the youths set fire to tires and chanted the slogans “Hail to Rajavi” and “Death to the criminal Khamenei”.
Similar activities were reported in Kermanshah, Yazd, Gorgan, Mianeh, Bandar Abbas, Babol, Semnan, Yasuj, Bushehr, Shiraz, and other cities.
The regime deployed plainclothes patrols and motor patrols of Basij forces and special units of the SSF in various areas of Tehran from the early hours of Tuesday, March 12. In Damavand Street, Simetry Niroyeh Havai Ave., Pirouzi Street, and Emamat Square, Basij paramilitary forces set up checkpoints, and the SSF and Basij and Special Forces deployed joint patrols. At the Hafez-Mossadegh intersection, SSF forces attacked youths celebrating Charshanbe Suri and arrested several individuals. In Naziabad, Tehran, SSF removed two police containers from the streets in fear of attacks by the rebellious youths.
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.
