IRAN protesters mark anniversary of “Bloody Friday” in south-eastern Sistan and Baluchestan province

Iran protesters mark anniversary of “Bloody Friday” in south-eastern Sistan and Baluchestan province

EU Reports-Sept31st2023

Iranian authorities opened fire on protests in several cities throughout south-eastern Sistan and Baluchestan province on Friday, one year after riot police shot and killed at least 100 people, and wounding hundreds in a massacre.

According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran authorities wounded at least 19 protesters, including several children, during the protests marking the first anniversary of “Bloody Friday,” also known as the Zahedan massacre.

“Bloody Friday,” occurred in the wake of the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini while in Iranian morality police custody. Her death sparked nationwide protests against the regime that was widely regarded as the most serious challenge to the theocratic system since it was established in the wake of the 1979 revolution.

According to the country’s leading pro-democracy opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, at least 750 people overall were killed in that crackdown, within about three months of the uprising’s start. The PMOI, or MEK, also reported that upwards of 30,000 citizens were arrested during the same time span.

Despite repressive measures and a massive crackdown by the authorities, protesters have sustained the demonstrations in Zahedan every Friday since the September 30, 2022 massacre.

The Iranian authorities have repeatedly referred to the role of the MEK-affiliated “Resistance Units” in the unrests, describing them as “the leaders” of the protests.

Demands for regime change were prominent within the anniversary demonstration in cities of Zahedan, Rask, Khash, Sooran, Taftan with protesters chanting “death to Khamenei (referring to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei”, “death to this regime that commits rape and murder,” and “I will avenge my brother’s blood”.