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Iran commemorates 38th anniversary of massacre

Shah forces killed hundreds of protesters on Jaleh Square in Tehran, September, 8, 1978.

Iran has marked the 38th anniversary of the massacre of protesters in Tehran by the country’s former US-backed regime.

People in the capital gathered in the Martyrs’ Square, formerly known as Jaleh square, on Wednesday to commemorate those who lost their lives during a landmark protest.

On September 8, 1978, Iranians defied a curfew to take to the streets, demanding an end to the rule of Mohammad Reza Shah.

Troops surrounded the protesters and opened machine-gun fire on them, leaving hundreds of them dead.

The event, falling on Shahrivar 17 on the Persian calendar, has come to be known as the "Black Friday" and a symbol of resistance against repression.

It touched off a series of protests which led to the overthrow of the Pahlavi regime a few months later.

The unrest following the massacre forced the Shah to leave Iran in January 1979, ushering in the Islamic Revolution of Iran led by Imam Khomeini a month later.

"All these people are here … to once again pledge allegiance to those who lost their lives for the victory of the Islamic Revolution,” a participant at the Wednesday ceremony told Press TV.

“The victories achieved after Shahrivar 17th were all the results of martyrs’ sacrifices,” he said.


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