Iran commemorates 38th anniversary of massacre

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.