Protest banners and slogans honoring the victims of the 1988 massacre declare continued resistance against both monarchy and the ruling clerical dictatorship.
On July 31, marking the anniversary of the 1988 massacre of Iran’s political prisoners, Resistance Units in the southeastern city of Zahedan launched a public campaign commemorating the victims while renewing their commitment to continue the struggle for freedom until the overthrow of the Iranian regime.
The activists displayed protest placards and banners across different parts of the city, paying tribute to the thousands of political prisoners executed during the massacre ordered by the regime’s founder, Ruhollah Khomeini. The campaign emphasized that the memory of those executed remains a driving force behind the ongoing struggle for a democratic future in Iran.
Honoring the Victims of the 1988 Massacre
The banners described the massacre as a defining moment in Iran’s contemporary history, portraying it as a confrontation between a brutal dictatorship and a generation seeking freedom.
Among the messages displayed were statements declaring that:
- The bloodshed of 1988 marked not an end, but the beginning of a struggle that continues to shape Iran’s future.
- The victims of the massacre remain symbols of courage, sacrifice, and resistance against tyranny.
- The executions represented a violent clash between medieval repression and the aspirations of future generations for freedom.
Another banner stated that throughout one of the darkest periods in Iran’s history, the principal force confronting religious tyranny was the organized Resistance.
Rejecting Both Forms of Dictatorship
The campaign also highlighted one of the Resistance’s central political messages: rejecting both the former monarchy and the current clerical dictatorship.
Slogans displayed throughout Zahedan included:
- “Neither Shah nor Mullah.”
- “From Zahedan to Tehran: Death to the oppressor, whether Shah or Supreme Leader.”
- “Dictatorship is dictatorship, whether it wears a turban or a crown.”
- “We want neither Shah nor mullahs. Curse on all dictators.”
- “The curse of the Iranian people and of history is upon the bloodstained Shah and Mullah.”
Renewing the Pledge to Continue the Struggle
The campaign concluded with a renewed pledge by the Resistance Units to continue their struggle until the establishment of a free and democratic Iran.
One of the banners declared that the confrontation between the Iranian Resistance and dictatorship has continued for more than six decades and will persist until the downfall of the ruling regime.
The anniversary campaign in Zahedan forms part of broader nationwide efforts to preserve the memory of the victims of the 1988 massacre, promote justice and accountability for crimes against humanity, and reaffirm the Iranian Resistance’s commitment to replacing dictatorship with a democratic republic.
