News   /   Reports

Iranians mark 2009 pro-establishment rallies

Yusef Jalali
Press TV, Tehran

Once again on December 30th, Iranians rallied to observe a major day on the country's political calendar. That’s the anniversary of the nationwide pro-establishment rallies of 2009, also known as 9th of Dey.

It marks a day when millions of Iranians took to the streets in support of the Islamic Republic and in protest against months of unrest, over alleged irregularities in the presidential election held earlier that year.

The 2009 post-election unrest was triggered by claims of vote-rigging by two rivals of ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mirhossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi claimed Ahmadinejad won the election by fraud, an allegation vehemently dismissed by authorities as baseless.

The defeated candidates then called their supporters into the streets to demand a new election. The protests then turned violent and snowballed into deadly riots.

Going on for months, the unrest came to an end after an opposing wave of protests took hold by millions of Iranians who demanded an end to violence and called the rioters seditionists.

Mirhossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi have since been under house arrest for provoking turmoil and threatening national security.

Iranian officials still firmly believe that the 2009 post-election unrest was engineered by the US, viewing the 9th of Dey as a counterforce that foiled those plots.

For more than a decade, the Islamic Republic has planned mass ceremonies on the 9th of day.

Iranian authorities regard the incident as a turning point in the history of the Islamic Republic and interpret the 9th of Dey rallies as a public mandate for the establishment.


Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Press TV News Roku