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Iran
Focus
 Tehran, Iran, Mar. 14 – Young people set fire to
pictures of Iran’s Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and former leader
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran, according to dissidents in the
Iranian capital who sent a photo of their activities to Iran Focus.
Protestors gathered and burned down posters of Iranian leaders hung on lampposts
in Mirdamad
Street in Tehran.
Despite a massive crackdown to prevent this year’s “fire festival” from
turning into scenes of anti-governments protests, young people have taken to
the streets across Iran
to defy the government ban and celebrate the last Tuesday of the Persian year
with a big bang.
During the 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. This year the event falls on March 14.
Iran’s
main opposition group, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK), has issued an
appeal to people across the country to take part in the celebrations on the
night and turn it into an anti-government protest.
Already steps have been taken to prevent widespread protests from flaring
during the traditional Persian festival celebrated by Iranians for over 2,500
years.
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