Nov. 5 (UPI) — Iran marked the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, holding state-sponsored rallies amid continued protests in that country.
Citizens waved the Islamic Islamic Republic’s flag under close scrutiny from the military and police, as demonstrations in that country over the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody on Sept. 16 also took place.
About 1,000 people in Tehran were charged this week in connection with anti-government demonstrations that have raged around Iran since the death of Amini.
The 22-year-old died in the custody of the Iranian morality police after being arrested for not covering her hair, setting off protests. The Iranian government has since cracked down heavily on those protests, leading to sanctions from the U.S. Treasury Department.
While Iranian authorities have downplayed the number of people arrested and charged, human rights activists have estimated that more than 14,000 people could be tried in open mass trials.
Friday’s carefully staged celebrations reportedly drew smaller-than-advertised crowds, though authorities attempted to make the numbers look bigger on state-run TV broadcasts.
“Anyone taking the smallest step in the direction of breaching security and riots, must know that they are stepping in the direction of enemies of the Islamic Revolution,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said at a speech in front of the U.S. Embassy building.
“Americans think they can execute the plan they carried out in some countries like Syria and Libya here. What a false dream!”
On Nov. 4, 1979, 52 Americans were taken prisoner at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, after it was stormed by a group of militarized Iranian college students. The incident set off an international crisis.
The hostages were eventually released on Jan. 20, 1981, passing through a gauntlet of Iranians screaming anti-American slogans as they headed for the plane that would take them to freedom after 444 days of captivity.
