Millions of Iranians in different cities across Iran celebrated the 44th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
This Saturday morning, Iranians from all across the country took to the streets to celebrate the 44th anniversary of the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. According to Iran’s state media, the nationwide rallies on the national holiday of “Bahman 22nd” (February 11) began at 9:00 am local time and continued for hours in the evening.
“People in over 1,400 cities and 3,800 villages across the country took part in the national holiday celebration, which is being covered by more than 6,000 journalists and reporters,” Iran’s Tasnim News Agency said, adding also that in addition to common people, “many officials, political, sports and artistic figures participated in today’s march ceremony in Tehran and different cities of Iran”.
According to this report, the people of Iran carried pictures of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution and the founder of the Islamic Republic, as well as General Qassem Soleimani, and placards that read “We will stand until the end”, “A united, strong and stable Iran” and “We follow the leader” We are” in their hands. Sejeel missiles and Shahid drones were exhibited 136 times around Azadi Square.
It was exactly 44 years ago on the same day of February 11 that Iranian people toppled the US-backed Pahlavi regime and put an end to 2,500 years of monarchic rule in the country.
Following the March 1979 Islamic Republic referendum, in which 98% of Iranian voters approved the country’s shift to an Islamic republic, the new government drafted the present-day Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to which Ayatollah Khomeini emerged as the Supreme Leader of Iran in December 1979.
Iran’s president delivered speech
Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, who participated in the ceremony in Tehran and was among the marchers, gave a speech to the people in Tehran’s Azadi Square.
The President called “22 Bahman” the day of the end of tyranny and dependence, and the beginning of independence, freedom and the Islamic Republic. He also described the victory of the Islamic Revolution as the end of the domination of dictators and foreign powers on Iran.
Addressing the recent protests in Iran and clarifying the role of the Western countries in this regard, Raisi noted that “Iranian people have realized that the enemy’s problem is not woman, life, or freedom,” referring to the protesters’ slogan,“rather, they want to take our independence,” he added.
During Raisi was delivering his speech, the streaming website of state television channel 5 was disrupted for a few seconds by a video apparently done by a hacker group named Edalate Ali.
Stating that the victory of the Islamic Revolution challenged the power structure in the East and the West, Raisi noted: “After the military war and the defeat they suffered, the enemies went after it to put pressure on the Iranian nation with sanctions and threats, and therefore the policy of maximum pressure. But the resistance of people caused the enemy to fail, as they themselves announced, the policy of maximum pressure has shamefully failed.”
In the past two years and because of the Covid-19 restrictions, the commemoration march in Iran was carried out mainly by cars and motorcycles. But this year, and despite the cold weather, many people walked with Iran’s flags in their hands to gather in Azadi Square in Tehran as well as in many cities across the country. Many also held the picture of Iran’s Supreme Leader and General Qassim Soleimani while marching.
