Mohammad Sharafi, one of Iran’s Security Forces’ commanders declared that the suppressive forces arrested almost 1500 people during the Fire Festivities (State news agency of ISNA, March 15). Theses arrests indicate the authorities’ fearful reaction to Iranian youth who despite all the regime’s threatening warnings turned the Fire Festivities into a scene of their confrontation with the despotic regime as well as an opportunity for expressing their revulsion of the regime.

The Iranian Resistance calls on the United Nations and its relevant bodies as well as all the international organizations in defence of human rights to take urgent action for the release of those arrested, and also calls on the Iranian people to rush for assisting their families.

Fire Festivities was broadly held in majority of the Iranian cities while the regime’s suppressive bodies and propaganda apparatus resorted to all means in order to prevent it from happening.

Political prisoners in Gohardasht Prison too celebrated this festivity despite all the restrictions, chanting slogans of “Death to Dictator”, “Death to Mullahs’ Regime” and singing national anthems.

In many cities such as Tehran, Mashad, Shahr-e-Kord and Baneh, the youth attacked the Basij mercenaries of the regime with handmade grenade and in some cities like Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Mashad, Yasouj and Shahr-e-Kord, the brave youth got involved in clashes with the suppressive forces who were trying to prevent people from holding festivities. They burnt in fire the photos of Khamenei and Khomeini in Tehran, Arak, Rafsanjan, Langrood and Rasht.

There were such a compressed crowd in Tehran’s various streets and squares that the state media said, “Fire Festivities locked Tehran’s streets.” The youth in Tehran expressed their revulsion of this anti-Iran regime by chanting slogans like “Mullahs should be killed”, “The dictator should know that he will soon be overthrown”, and through throwing fireworks at the security forces’ vehicles.

The youth closed the road to the patrolling security forces in southern Tehran. In the Afsarieh region of Tehran, a suppressive security force who intended to persecute the youth was so severely punished by them that he had to be sent to hospital.

In Mashad, the youth threw petrol bombs at the Basij Base in Vakil-abad Boulevard. Also it was reported by the regime’s media that fireworks were thrown at the security forces’ vehicles and exploded between Hashemieh Boulevard and 19 Street.

In Tabriz, a vehicle carrying the suppressive security forces was targeted by the youth’s handmade grenades. In Shahr-e-Kord, the youth put fire on everywhere in the city and started clashing with the security forces using petrol bombs.

In Rasht, people chanted “Death to Dictator” and “This year is the year of Fire” burning the photos of Khomeini thus forcing the regime’s mercenaries to leave the scene.

In Baneh, there was such a high turnout that the suppressive security forces frightened by the youth’s anger did not dare to get off their vehicles.

In the cities of Kashan, Yasouj, Kermanshah, Ardebil, Oroomieh, Mahshahr and Asalooyeh, despite the heavy presence of the security forces, there were sounds of the youth’s fireworks, happiness and hilarity everywhere. In the Nabovat Alley of Ahwaz, there could be heard sounds of fireworks and firing sound and explosive grenades in the vicinity of military centers.

Source: / ncr-iran /