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March 17, 2010
Updates on the Feast of Fire Celebration and the Iranian People’s Protests Against the Regime
As the Iranian people get ready to celebrate the annual ritual of the Feast of Fire (background information here), the regime is stepping up its efforts to suppress dissent. Below are a number of examples of their ham-fisted attempts to deny the people their voice.
Suppressive forces clash with young people in Azadi Square
At 8:30 a.m. local time today (Tuesday, March 16th), the young people confronted the State Security Forces (SSF) on the eastern side of Azadi Square by throwing stones.
Monday evening, the SSF agents removed several large posters of the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei from Azadi Square and Arya Shahr in fear of the young people to set fire to them.
Groups of suppressive forces are stationed throughout Azadi Street.
Broadcasting of 11 movies on TV in one day, mullahs’ latest ploy to prevent people going out for Fire Festival
In line with its attempts to prevent people’s participation in the Fire Festival, the clerical regime has announced that 11 movies will be broadcast back-to-back on its state-run TV stations. The Fars news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, began advertising these movies on the brink of the Fire Festival on March 15th.
Iranian youths view the disgraced plots and deceptions of the clerical regime and its Guards as humorous efforts, which will have absolutely no effect on their resolve to voice their outrage against the entirety of the velayat-e faqih (absolute clerical rule) dictatorship during the Fire Festival.
Youths prepare for Fire Festival uprising in various Iranian cities
In recent days, young Iranians in various parts of Tehran have started celebrating the coming of the Fire Festival by setting up bonfires and playing with firecrackers starting in the afternoon hours and continuing celebrations until late at night. These areas include Gomrok Square, Kargar-e Jonoubi Street, Azari juncture, Shahrak-e Rah Ahan (end of West Hemmat), Ali Abad and Khachi Abad in southern Tehran, Tajrish, Mohseni, Niavaran, Takht-e Tavous, Abbas Abad, Vanak, Gandi, Qaem Maqam, Arya Shahr, Gisha, Shahrak-e Ekbatan, Tehran Pars, and Afsarieh.
Some youths have clashed with the regime’s forces while at Vanak Square young people set posters of the regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on fire.
Among other initiatives taken by the youths is writing graffiti on city walls, bills, and bus seats calling for participation in the Fire Festival. They have also distributed leaflets for this purpose in the cities of Rasht, Tabriz, and Shiraz.
At the same time, on March 15th, in the city of Ahvaz, the regime’s agents intensified their suppressive measures in response to the youths’ activities. The regime’s forces arrested youths on bogus charges and took them to prisons. They have told the families that no one will be freed until the end of New Year holidays (beginning of April).
Sporting black and military-style attire and equipped with masked helmets, the regime’s special anti-riot guards roam the streets and squares of Ahvaz city, particularly the areas of Khorramshahr juncture, Kian Pars, Amanieh, Kamplou, and Golestan.
Bassij kiosks in Tehran dismantled, fearing youth will set them on fire
On Sunday, the clerical regime dismantled all of the kiosks it had previously set up in various squares and parts of Tehran as paramilitary Bassij posts, fearing that Iranian youths will set them on fire.
Moreover, according to directives issued by the Tehran Council for Security, municipalities are also asked to remove garbage bins from streets before the start of Fire Festival celebrations. The measure is carried out under the pretext of “improving safety in the city and prevention of probable accidents.”
The trepidation of the desperate ruling mullahs is to the extent that they have ordered: “On this day [March 16th], garbage bins must be emptied on two or three different occasions by the municipal services in order to prevent rioters from using them.”
At the same time, on March 14th and 15th, the regime’s officials expressed anger over the fact that “the youths have politicized the Fire Festival,” and threatened families not to go out with their children during the festival. The regime’s agents have instead recommended playing with firecrackers on rooftops, threatening families by saying that there is a possibility of shootings and riots during the Fire Festival.
Iranian regime's security force chief warns "rioters" of "harsh" response; motorcycle ban enforced in Tehran
Iranian regime on Tuesday enforced a ban on motorcycles from 2 pm to midnight local time as Iranian people celebrate the annual Fire Festival.
The state-run media quoting the Commander of the State Security Forces in Tehran, Revolutionary Guard Hossein Sajedi-nia, talking about “security maneuver in Tehran" that started yesterday aimed at "maintaining security during the last Wednesday of the year (reference to Fire Festival) and New Year holidays and the security of neighborhoods." He warned that the "rioters" will be "dealt with harshly."
In the meantime, Colonel Hadi Hashemi, Tehran’s traffic police chief, referring to “some young people who throw sound grenades and fire crackers as they traditionally do every year” warned, “Motorcyclists must not go out of their homes from noon today because the police will confiscate their motors,” Mehr news agency, affiliated to the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, quoted him saying.
SSF commander in Tehran monitors suppressive forces in a chopper; pictures of Khamenei distributed in various parts of Tehran to be burnt
Tuesday afternoon, Colonel Khancharli, Deputy Commander of Tehran Operations of State Security Forces (SSF), is flying in a helicopter in Tehran in order to control the city and protest acts by the youth on the occasion of Fire Festival.
Despite the regime’s suppressive measures, this morning, packages containing A3-sized pictures of the regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, were distributed among people in various parts of Tehran, including Imam Hossein Square so that they could burn them during the celebrations. There were slogans on the pictures saying, “Celebrate Fire Festival with the burning of the picture of the oppressors’ supreme leader,” “Festival of light against darkness: Burn this picture.”
In Shahrak-e Gharb, youths celebrated the coming of Fire Festival by setting alight fire crackers.
Comedic clips depicting Khamenei and his cohorts, as well as a call to participate in the Fire Festival, were distributed widely on the internet and through the mobile phone networks.
In phone booths at Tehran’s Aryashahr, youths widely posted invitations for people to participate in the Fire Festival celebrations with the slogan of “down with the principle of velayat-e faqih [absolute clerical rule].”
The Iranian regime’s lies simultaneous with the Fire Festival uprising
The clerical regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) today disseminated false and preposterous reports through its media outlets like Javan Online about “the arrest of two teams of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) that intended to carry out terrorist attacks on the Fire Festival” and “sought to murder citizens, and set fire to banks and government buildings.”
Fearing a nationwide uprising on Fire Festival, the Iranian regime is making attempts in vain to beat and arrest youths while intensifying suppressive measures and spreading false rumors and reports as an empty show of force in a bid to intensify the atmosphere of fear and repression.
Rounding up garbage bins and garbage trucks across Tehran to prevent them from being set on fire by youths
Fearing the Fire Festival on Tuesday, the clerical regime has resorted to collecting garbage bins and old vehicles across the city of Tehran to avoid them from being set on fire by Iranian youths.
Additionally, gas stations in sensitive areas, including Enqelab Square and all gasoline storages in various gasoline purchase centers were locked up by Tuesday noon in order to prevent youths from being able to set them alight in protest to the regime.
Tehran’s municipality has also started rounding up old vehicles in the capital since ten days ago.
However, in retaliation to these suppressive measures, the people of Tehran dump their trash outside their residence to help youth set them on fire tonight.
Brought to you by the editors and research staff of FamilySecurityMatters.org.
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