Traditional "Pagan" Celebration Turns Into Street Fights Against Regime Forces
SMCCDI (Information Service)Mar 15, 2005


Violent clashes rocked, this evening, main Iranian cities as brutal militiamen attacked Iranians who transformed the already hardly
tolerated celebration of the traditional "Tchahr Shanbe Souri" (Fire Fiest) into protest action and show of "un-Islamic" joy. Most areas of the Capital and cities, such as, Esfahan, Mahabad, Shiraz, Rasht, Kermanshah, Babol, Sannandaj, Mashad, Khoram-Abad, Zabol, Tabriz, Hamedan and Oroomiah (former Rezai-e) were scenes of sometimes unprecedented street fights between the regime forces and groups of Iranians.

Armed clashes have been reported from several cities and especially from Tehran, as small groups of armed and determined masked individuals were seen rushing to the rescue of some of those arrested by the official forces. Powerful home made incendiary devices and fire crackers also responded to the Islamic regime's militiamen and plainclothes agents' use of brutality against celebrators and women who were not observing the mandatory veil.Cocktail Molotov and pieces of bricks and stones were thrown from roofs at many occasion by inflicting severe damages and injuries to some of the regime's men and patrol cars. Several public buildings, materials and banks have been also heavily damaged during the popular retaliations.

Many celebrators were seen shouting slogans against the regime and its leaders, such as, "Marg bar Jomhoori e Eslami" (Down with Islamic Republic), "Marg bar Taleban e Iran" (Down with Taleban), "Toop, Tank, Feshfeshe, Bassiji bayad Koshte She" (Gun, Tank, Fire Cracker, Militia must be killed).

Pictures of regime's leaders and Islamist books, even at some occasion, copies of the Koran have been thrown into fire by some protesters.

Overwhelmed official forces had to pull back at several occasions while some streets' initiative felt into residents hands. The regime forces
were deployed massively around strategic buildings and facilities, such as, the Governmental TV, Radio, Parliament and even the Mehrabad Airport by fear of a popular take over. At many occasion, members of the regular Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) were seen fraternizing with the celebrators/Demonstrators and even showing them the "V" sign.

In the Greater Tehran alone, neighborhoods, such as, Shahrak Gharb, Madar Square, Haft-Hose, Rey, Gohardasht, Tajrish and Pasdaran were
transformed into scenes of apocalypse and giving prelude to what can happen the last night of the rule of Islamic regime during a general uprising.

Esfahan, Sannandaj, Mashad,Shiraz, and Mahabad were also scenes of late night street fights were use of lethal force by the regime's men has been reported.

A heavy number of injured has been reported from most cities.

It's to note that the religiously banned celebration in which millions of
Iranians are participating, each year, has been considered as "Paganistic" by the dogmatic clerics. It became this evening, once again as not only another act of joy and renewing with the Persian Cultural Heritage, but also as an act of political civil disobedience, and a show of
attachment to Iranians' national values.

The Movement's Coordinator and speakers of various opposition groups had reiterated the importance of the continuation of such action in various interviews made with most Persian satellite TV and radio networks broadcasting to Iran. Aryo B. Pirouznia of SMCCDI had stated, again and during the W-End, that the persistence of Iranians to show their attachment to their cultural heritage that contradicts Shia principles and show their deep rejection of the main basis of the Islamic regime. "Tchahar Shanbe Souri is not only a Persian cultural event but also an evident and noticeable show of opposition opportunity".

The Islamist clerics have always tried,especially since taking power in 1979, to ban such tradition that date before the Arab/Islamic invasion of
Iran which lead to the forced conversion of Iranians to Islam. The clerics see it, the fire fest, as a threat to their spiritual and political existence.

In Year 2000, the number of bushes set on fire were to the point that a landing Air France plane tried to change its trajectory as the pilot
thought a revolution was taking place in Iran. At least 6 celebrators were killed and hundreds of others beaten and arrested by the regime forces.
The Capital Law Enforcement Forces declared that the deaths were due to the explosion of fire crackers at their homes but a month later and in
an unprecedented manner, the head of the regime's Medical Legalist, confessed that no deaths due to explosion were brought to his services and on
that night most deaths were caused by heads of victims smashed with heavy objects.

The Islamic regime forces made, on that night, a wide spread use of heavy clubs and chains in order to attack the demonstrators.