Protests in Iran on Friday were largely centered on memorial services for those killed in the 75-day riots, with Bandar Anzali, Arak and Izeh being hot spots for rallies.
One of the memorial gatherings was for 27-year-old Mehran Samak from Bandar Anzali in northern Gilan. Celebrate Iran’s football team’s defeat against the United States in the World Cup. Many Iranians wanted their team to lose because the players did not show support for the anti-government demonstrations.
But as people poured into the streets after a football match in Qatar, security forces opened fire on a car that was honking its horn in a sign of celebration, striking Samak and many others. The government was ready to celebrate the victory over the US team, and the security forces, ready to wave flags and hand out sweets to the people, were in no mood to see protesters express their joy at Iran’s defeat. rice field.
Hours before Samak’s memorial service on Friday, security forces had blocked roads leading to a designated site. But protesters attended a memorial service three days after his death, chanting “We will fight, we will die, we will take back Iran…”.
In the city of Arak, people gathered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sina Maleeri’s death, chanting slogans such as “poverty, corruption, soaring prices, trying to overthrow the government.”
They chanted “Death to Khamenei”, “This is the year of blood, Ali Khamenei has fallen”.
Maraeli was reportedly killed by security forces and his body was found at a workshop near his residence, but city prosecutors claimed he died from a drug overdose. .
In the oil-rich city of Ize in Khuzestan province, a rally was held to commemorate protester Hamed Surashur, whose body was buried in a cemetery near the city by security forces. His body was exhumed by his family and reburied on the family premises, but was unable to do so under pressure from security forces, the Iranian Center for Human Rights said a 22-year-old man was tortured after his arrest. was reported to have died from
The mourning protests came against the backdrop of widespread rallies in Baluch-majority cities in Sistan-Baluchistan province since September 30, as the government killed nearly 100 people in poor neighborhoods. was broken Religious leader Mouravi Abdulhamid.
Popular protests demanding an end to Islamic rule began in mid-September when 22-year-old Martha Amini was murdered in so-called “morality police” custody, igniting the most daring protests against the Islamic Republic of 43 years. turned on. Chronology.
About 18,000 people have been arrested since the protests began, and protesters have already been sentenced to death, but no one has been executed. According to Norway-based HRANA, on December 2, 469 protesters and 61 of his security personnel were killed in his September 17 and later protests.
