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Iran Focus
Tehran, Iran, Mar. 14 – Furious people set on fire posters of hard-line
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
and former Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini during extensive demonstrations in the western city of Khorramabad as “fire” festivals across the country
continued well into the night.
The following is a photo obtained by Iran Focus from activists inside Khorramabad.
During the traditional Persian fire festival, known as ‘chaharshanbeh
souri’ – literally, Feast of Wednesday – people
jump over bonfires to “drive away evil”. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution,
however, Iran’s
theocratic leaders have made strenuous efforts to stamp out the festivities,
but to no avail. In recent years, there have been extensive clashes between
festive crowds and the security forces deployed to prevent street
celebrations.
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