UPDATE: Several celebrators killed and hundreds injured or arrested in Iran

SMCCDI (Information Service):

Several protesters/celebrators have been killed and hundreds have been injured or arrested following the violent clashes that rocked most Iranian cities, yesterday night, at the occasion of popular riots during the "Pagan" Tchahar-Shanbe Souri (Fire Fiest). These clashes happened as brutal militiamen attacked Iranians who transformed the already hardly tolerated celebration into protest action and show of "un-Islamic" joy. Most areas of the Capital and cities, such as, Esfahan, Mahabad, Shiraz, Rasht, Kermanshah, Babol, Sannandaj, Dezful, Mashad, Ahwaz, Marivan, Khoram-Abad, Zabol, Baneh, Tabriz, Hamedan and Oroomiah (former Rezai-e) were scenes of sometimes unprecedented street fights between the regime forces and groups of Iranians. READ MORE

In Tehran alone official sources are stating about two deaths in what has been qualified as "incident during non professional work on incendiary devices" "inside a abandoned home in east of the Capital".

More concordant reports are stating about an astonishing use of force in the Capital's areas of Rey, Guisha, Narmak and Reja-i Shahr leading to many injured, arrested and few believed deaths. Other neighborhoods, such as, Shahrak Gharb, Madar Square, Haft-Hose, Gohardasht, Tajrish and Pasdaran were also transformed into unprecedented scenes of apocalypse and giving prelude to what can happen the last night of the rule of Islamic regime during a general uprising.

In Esfahan, Tabriz, Shiraz several demonstrators were seen with broken heads laying in their blood following the brutal assaults of the regime's forces in Tchahar Bagh, Ab-Ressani, Sajad and Azadi (Freedom) avenue.

Hundreds have been reported as admitted to hospitals due to wounds inflicted by heavy objects (clubs or chains) and even plastic bullets. Hundreds more are missing following the massive wave of arrests after the regime forces charges on Iranians. Reports from their quick transfers by full buses with military escort are coming from several cities.

Several regime vehicles, such as, anti-riot trucks, patrol cars and even firefighter trucks with water cannon have been destroyed in Esfhan, Mahabad and southern part of the Capital. Tens of militiamen have been also injured, some seriously, by armed masked individuals or groups of young using pieces of stones and incendiary devices, such as, Molotov Cocktails or hand made grenades.

Many celebrators were seen shouting slogans against the regime and its leaders, such as, "Marg bar Jomhoori e Eslami" (Down with Islamic Republic), "Marg bar Taleban e Iran" (Down with Taleban), "Toop, Tank, Feshfeshe, Bassiji bayad Koshte She" (Gun, Tank, Fire Cracker, Militia must be killed) and "Referendum, Referendum, in ast Shoar e Mardom" (Referendum, Referendum, this is the people's slogan) by making reference to a genuine election, expressed so many time since three years ago, and after the total fall of the Islamic regime and without giving any chance to some so-called redempted 'former' factions of the regime to surf again over the popular aspiration.

Other slogans stating about a dangerous level of the popular exasperation, such as, "Bush, Bush, kush? Kush?" (Bush, Bush, Were's He? Were's He?) were also shouted along with some unprecedented public attacks against EU members, such as, France and Germany.

Pictures of regime's leaders and Islamist books, even at some occasion, Mandatory veils and copies of the Koran along with some EU symbols, such as, French and German flags were thrown into fire by some protesters. France and Germany are the closet collaborators of the illegitimate regime in Iran.

In some areas, like in the center of Mahabad and Sannandaj, overwhelmed official forces had to pull back at several occasions while some streets' initiative felt into residents hands. The regime forces were deployed massively around strategic buildings and facilities, such as, the Governmental TV and Radio by fear of a popular take over.

The impact of the riots are to the point that the regime's propaganda tools are already blaming the exasperated Iranians for "acts of vandalism and hooliganism having lead to the perturbance of civil order and endangering the public safety". The unprecedented event forced even the governmental TV to praise Tchahr Shanbe Souri and then to condemn those who can't make a "normal celebration" of "this old tradition".

It's to note that the religiously banned celebration in which millions of Iranians are participating, each year, has been considered as "Paganistic" by the dogmatic clerics. It became this evening, once again as not only another act of joy and renewing with the Persian Cultural Heritage, but also as an act of political civil disobedience, and a show of attachment to Iranians' national values.

The Movement's Coordinator and speakers of various opposition groups had reiterated the importance of the continuation of such action in various interviews made with most Persian satellite TV and radio networks broadcasting to Iran. Aryo B. Pirouznia of SMCCDI had stated, again and during the W-End, that the persistence of Iranians to show their attachment to their cultural heritage that contradicts Shia principles and show their deep rejection of the main basis of the Islamic regime. "Tchahar Shanbe Souri is not only a Persian cultural event but also an evident and noticeable show of opposition opportunity".

The Islamist clerics have always tried, especially since taking power in 1979, to ban such tradition that date before the Arab/Islamic invasion of Iran which lead to the forced conversion of Iranians to Islam. The clerics see it, the fire fest, as a threat to their spiritual and political existence.

In Year 2000, the number of bushes set on fire were to the point that a landing Air France plane tried to change its trajectory as the pilot thought a revolution was taking place in Iran. At least 6 celebrators were killed and hundreds of others beaten and arrested by the regime forces. The Capital Law Enforcement Forces declared that the deaths were due to the explosion of fire crackers at their homes but a month later and in an unprecedented manner, the head of the regime's Medical Legalist, confessed that no deaths due to explosion were brought to his services and on that night most deaths were caused by heads of victims smashed with heavy objects.

The Islamic regime forces made, on that night, a wide spread use of heavy clubs and chains in order to attack the demonstrators.