On the eve of the Iranian regime’s farcical parliamentary elections, Iran’s brave youth are casting their votes by setting fire to posters and banners of the candidates in the sham elections. After four decades of tyranny, the people of Iran have no doubt that the Majlis and its elections do not represent the will of the people and only serve the regime’s goals. A recent trove of confidential documents leaked by a dissident group have further proven that the parliament only serves to carry out the will of the Revolutionary Guards and regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and its members abuse their power to steal the people’s wealth.
It isn’t surprising that the regime’s analysts are forecasting a major boycott of the elections. At the same time, protesters across Iran and all segments of the society are chanting that they will not vote in the regime’s elections. And Resistance Units, the network of PMOI activists inside Iran, are reflecting the voice of the people with their activities across the country.
On February 28th, the Resistance Units torched electoral posters in several cities, including Tehran, Mashhad, Karaj, and Ahvaz, among others. This widespread act of resistance was a clear message to the clerical regime, signaling the people’s refusal to participate in what they see as an illegitimate electoral process.
In Tehran, a Resistance Units member who was burning posters of regime candidates said, “In this regime, there is no room for elections, it is time for a revolution. Down with Khamenei, damned be Khomeini. Our vote is regime change.”
In Mashhad, a Resistance Units member who was burning a pile of propaganda posters said, “This is the vote of the people of Iran to Khamenei’s regime.”
“It is time for a revolution,” a Resistance Unit member said in Kermanshah as he burned photos of regime candidates.
In Babol, a Resistance Unit member shouted, “My vote is for Maryam Rajavi” as he tore the posters of regime candidates.
In Abadan, the Resistance Units tore posters of regime candidates from walls and stomped on them.
Similar activities were seen in Bojnurd, Fasa, Bushehr, Baghmalek, Masjed Soleiman, Qazvin, Sirjan, Bam, Khoy, and Urmia.
In Sanandaj, a Resistance Units member said, “Our vote is regime change. Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the mullahs,” reiterating the Iranian people’s choice to reject any kind of dictatorship.
In Gonbad Kavoos, the Resistance Units tore the photos of regime candidates and threw then in the gutters.
In Karaj, Resistance Units members said, “It is time for a revolution. Hail to Rajavi.”
The elections faced a massive boycott from the Iranian populace, despite Khamenei’s repeated appeals over the past month urging public participation. In contrast, resistance units in more than 60 cities across Iran have dismantled and destroyed promotional materials of the regime, spreading slogans against the clerical leadership and calling for a unified boycott of the electoral spectacle.
According to reports from media outlets close to the regime, some officials have admitted that the turnout will be less than 9 percent, despite extensive efforts to mobilize voters. This low participation rate highlights the legitimacy crisis facing Khamenei, who has been desperately trying to compel even his forces to vote, amidst the stark divisions within his faction and the comprehensive boycott of the election charade.
Resistance units have been actively campaigning against these sham elections in numerous cities. By the evening of February 26th, they had dismantled the regime’s propaganda in 29 cities, tearing down posters and banners of regime loyalists. These actions were not limited to Tehran but spread across Iran, from Rasht and Gorgan in the north to Bandar Abbas in the south, and from Hamadan and Kermanshah in the west to Tabriz in the northwest and even Mashhad in the northeast and Ahwaz in the southwest.
This campaign by resistance units against the fake elections comes at a time when the clerical regime has mobilized all its intelligence, military, and security forces to arrest members of the Resistance Units, fearing the people’s anger and the activities of these units on the eve of the elections. The widespread actions of the resistance signify a significant challenge to the regime’s attempts to showcase a façade of legitimacy and democracy.
The Iranian people’s disdain for the electoral process, as demonstrated by their widespread boycott and the active resistance against the regime’s propaganda, underscores a deep-seated desire for change. This latest round of protests and acts of defiance against the regime’s electoral farce is a testament to the Iranian people’s ongoing struggle for freedom, democracy, and a government that truly represents their aspirations and interests.
