During the 1953 Iranian coup d'état, the Luti were used to organize demonstrations, including the protest that led to the fall of Mohammad Mosaddegh. They were used again in protests in 1963 against the reforms of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In the 1970s, both the Shah and his opposition approached the Luti for support. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, many of the Luti joined the ranks of Basij.