Some residents of the Iranian capital Tehran on Tuesday chanted slogans against the Islamic Republic and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the eve of the most significant annual commemoration of the 1979 Islamic revolution, according to footage posted on social media.
Iran was rocked by protests last month opposing the Islamic Republic, which were put down by what activists condemned as an unprecedented crackdown by the authorities, with thousands shot dead by security forces. There had been few reports of significant protest activity over the last fortnight in the face of the crackdown, until now.
But late Tuesday people took to balconies to chant slogans including “death to Khamenei”, “death to the dictator” and “death to Islamic republic”, according to footage shared by widely followed protest monitor channels on Telegram and X, including Vahid Online and Mamlekate. It was not immediately possible for AFP to verify the videos.
The chants came as authorities set off fireworks to mark the eve of Wednesday’s date of Bahman 22, which celebrates the anniversary of the resignation of the ousted shah’s last prime minister and the formal assumption of power by revolutionary leader Ruhollah Khomeini. (AFP)
