# Anniversary of the Iranian revolution

The anniversary of the Iranian revolution is celebrated on 22 Bahman, which is the 11th month in the Iranian calendar, equivalent to 11 February in the Gregorian calendar.
It commemorates the protests that led to the downfall of the Pahlavi dynasty and the installation of the Islamic Revolutionary which is headed by Imam Khomeini. This political celebration is held on the last day of the celebration called the Ten Days of fajr.

## Background

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, entered Tehran on 1 February 1979 and led an uprising throughout in Iran that resulted in victory after 10 days.
The Iranian revolution on 11 February 1979 was caused by the participation of different groups of people. The Pahlavi dynasty officially ended and finally, conditions were prepared to forming the Islamic Republic led by the cleric, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Islamic thoughts and characters had a significant role in the anti monarchic revolution and Khomeini called it as revolution.

## Original event

On 11 February 1979, after the victory of Iranian revolution hundreds of military personnel and policemen marched toward Azadi Tower.
One of their demands was a lack of dependence on the United States and the Soviet Union as dominant powers of that time.

## Anti-regime protests

In 2010, prior to the 31st anniversary of the regime, Iranian authorities executed two young regime opponents, Arash Rahmanipour and Mohammed Reza Ali Zamani. They also prosecuted 16 protesters, 5 of whom were sentenced to execution for being deemed "enemies of God," while an additional 37 individuals were scheduled to stand trial. In response, top opposition leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi condemned the executions and called for protests on the February 11 anniversary of the revolution. The Voice of America (VOA) quoted Joe Stork, The Middle East director at U.S.-based Human Rights Watch, who stated that the regime attempts "to use the anniversary celebration to "deflect attention" from its human rights violations. Also according to the Voice of America, Mousavi and Karoubi stated that the "majority of the Iranian people want to regain their rights". According to opposition website, Rahesabz, thousands of anti-government protesters gathered largely in the outskirts of the main area of the celebrations, and chanted "Death to the Dictator!". According to Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment, had there been no restrictions on their right to assemble, there would have been 5 miilion. During the subsequent protests Iranian security forces fired tear gas at opposition supporters, and Mousavi and Karoubi, who had urged their supporters to remain peaceful, were attacked.
In 2023, prior to the 44th anniversary of the regime, anti-government hackers managed to interrupt the broadcast of Telewebion, a web TV service affiliated with Iranian state TV for 19 seconds. President Ebrahim Raisi's televised address was also disrupted by a 44-second video featuring chants of "Death to Khamenei" and "Death to the Islamic Republic," which was shared on Twitter by the hacker group "Edalate Ali" ("The Justice of Ali"). In the video, the group also called for participation in the nationwide protests and urged Iranians to withdraw their money from official banks. The protests themselves also included calls for the death of the dictator and the end of the theocratic regime. The death of Mahsa Amini, who was killed for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly, was what sparked the widespread demonstrations. According to Hrana rights group, 19,763 protesters were arrested and at least 528 were killed during the protests, 71 of whom were minors. Additional anti-regime mass demonstrations took place worldwide, as thousands of internationally based Iranians, many of whom relatives of victims of the regime, protested in their countries of residence. In Paris, protesters chanted the slogan "Woman. Life. Freedom." In addition to other anti-regime slogans, and urged the EU to list the Revolutionary Guard as a terror organization and to cut economic ties with Iran. In Los Angeles, thousands of protestors, in solidarity with the people of Iran, called for representatives to support human rights in Iran and for the end of the religion-based government. In Ottawa, approximately 300 people gathered in front of the National Gallery of Canada, and chanted “Democracy for Iran”, denouncing the Islamic Republic and its leader, Ali Khamenei, the message being that they "don't want the Islamic Republic in Iran". The demonstrators further called for other countries to follow Canada in designating the IRGC as a terror organization, and to refrain from negotiations with them. Canadian officials expressed support for the demonstrators.
In 2024, the 45th anniversary of the regime, there was no call to action which provoked protests, even so many Iranians across Tehran engaged spontaneously in ‘home-chanting’, crying "Death to the Dictator" from their homes during the regime's fireworks display. This coincided with other forms of protest as many Iranians boycotted the official rallies commemorating the event, in stark contrast to previous years. Various videos and photos circulating in social media show meager participation in the official events and venues, despite the government's efforts to appeal to the public by softening the enforcement of the compulsory Hijab, and providing recreational activities on the streets. The regime and its media outlets attempted to conceal the minimal turnout, and described the celebrations as being "Epic". As in 2023, the 2024 protests were held worldwide, as displaced Iranians gathered in Belgium, Sweden, Australia, Germany, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Denmark to demand justice and action against Human rights violations in Iran.
In 2025, the 46th anniversary of the regime, there was a widespread eruption of anti-regime protests across Iran. In contempt of the regime's urges to cry "Allah o Akbar" (God is great) from the rooftops, Iranian citizens openly chanted "death to the dictator" and “death to Khamenei” in coordinated protests and demonstrations from homes and rooftops in multiple cities. As in 2024, anti-regime chants by many residents in Tehran and other major cities were a response to the government-sponsored fireworks and light displays. According to the Telegraph, "the public display of anger towards the Tehran regime comes amid escalating tensions within Iran, marked by increasing economic hardship, international isolation, and growing public dissatisfaction with the government’s policies, particularly regarding personal freedoms and human rights". On 13 February 2025, it was reported that for three days after the anniversary of the revolution, recurring protests were held in Dehdasht, with citizens crying chants translated as "Death to the dictator", death to the republic of executions” and "This year is year of blood, Khamenei falls with a thud", as well as "This year is the year of blood, Seyed Ali will be overthrown" in western Kermanshah. As a response security forces of the Islamic Republic dispersed the demonstrations, and reportedly fired shotgun pellets and tear gas at the protesters. As of 13 February 2025, at least 10 protesters were arrested. Although media alligned with the regime suggest that the cause for the protests is "tribal conflicts", evidence from the demonstrations themselves reveals them to be focused on econonmic issues, including record-high inflation and price increase for basic items, recurring power outages and extreme air pollution from industrial centers and power plants, as well as the regime's increased use of capital punishment.