Nationwide Rallies Held to Mark Islamic Revolution’s Anniversary

Large demonstrations were held on Saturday across Iranian cities to celebrate the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution that toppled the Pahlavi regime in 1979. 
The processions were held in 1,400 Iranian cities and 38,000 villages after three years of motorcade marches due to the coronavirus pandemic.  
Demonstrators carried the flag of Iran and placards bearing slogans in support of the revolution, as well as pictures of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and General Qassem Soleimani who was martyred by the United States in 2020 while on an anti-terror mission in Iraq. 
In the capital Tehran, the rallies began at 9:30 am local time on Saturday, with demonstrators marching toward the iconic Azadi (Freedom) Square.
Colored balloons and iridescent papers were flown from the Azadi Tower, professional parachutists of the Armed Forces put on performances and Iran’s national anthem was recited during the celebration at Azadi Square. 
Representatives from Iranian ethnic groups also attended the ceremony with their local outfits and displayed their handicrafts in stalls across the walking route. 
Other pavilions also displayed achievements of the Islamic Republic over 44 years, including military equipment. 
A statement of the ceremony was read out at the end of the demonstrations which emphasized the importance of national unity and solidarity among all social strata and ethnic and religious groups as a duty and a main strategy for defeating the enemies. 
It also called on all cultural organizations to restore the picture of the revolution in the eye of the society, particularly the youth and adolescents, and protect them from falling into the trap of hostile ideological campaigns and plots of foreign intelligence services.
The statement warned the European Union against blacklisting the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, saying Tehran would take it as a declaration of war. 
Some EU members had proposed the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization on grounds of the Islamic Republic’s alleged crackdown on protesters following the death of a young girl in police custody in September. 
President Ebrahim Raisi delivered a speech at the ceremony where he described the Islamic Revolution as an end to dictatorship and dependence and the beginning of independence, freedom and the rule of the Iranian nation’s will. 
He also said the celebration was a symbol of the Iranian nation’s victory against the enemies who carried out all sorts of plots over the past year to weaken the country. 
“It has been 44 years since the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the Iranian nation and its flag will grow stronger day by day.” 
The president underlined the Islamic Republic’s adherence to its original mottos after more than 40 years, saying this revolution has not deviated from its route like many movements in history. 
“The same mottos that were chanted by people on the streets in 1979 are chanted today as well,” he said. 
While the enemies of the Islamic Republic seek to provoke despair and disappointment, this epic demonstration and presence was a message of hopefulness for the Iranian nation and lovers of the revolution, according to Raisi. 
He defended the country’s peaceful nuclear program which has been under the most severe supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, censuring allegations against Iran by countries who own atomic bombs and nuclear warheads. 
The president dismissed western accusations about the condition of human and women’s rights in Iran, highlighting Iranian women’s participation in scientific, political, economic and all other sectors.