Online Conference Marking Anniversary of Iran Protests
November 10, 2020
To mark the anniversary of the November 2019 Iran protests, Iranians and supporters of the democratic opposition commemorated the uprising with an online conference on Tuesday, November 10, 2020. The gathering emphasized the Iranian people’s determination to continue the uprising until the overthrow of the ruling regime in Iran. Iranian American community members actively participated in this gathering. This report includes excerpts of remarks from event’s keynote speaker and a few of our community members.
On November 15, 2019, a massive uprising broke out in various Iranian cities. The protests lasted for about a week and spread to over 190 cities in all 31 provinces of Iran. The November 2019 uprising was unprecedented in the past 40 years, particularly due to its breadth, rapid pace, organization, the bravery of protesters, and their willingness to risk their lives.
On the orders of the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, at least 1,500 protesters were massacred on the streets. Over 4,000 were wounded and at least 12,000 were arrested.
“The uprising in November 2019 was neither indiscriminate nor spontaneous… It had no ties with any of the regime’s factions and no connections to any world power or government,” said NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi in her speech.
“On the contrary, the November uprising emanated from the Iranian people’s independent and liberating resolve…In November 2019, the regime began killing protesters from the onset. The slaughter took on a much greater scale on November 17, upon Khamenei’s order.” Madam Rajavi reminded that according to information obtained by the Iranian Resistance, security forces murdered more than 1,500 protesters across Iran, including minors.
“It was a crime against humanity. [The regime’s Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei, [mullahs’ President Hassan] Rouhani, [secretary of the regime’s Supreme Security Council, Ali] Shamkhani, Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and Bassij commanders, and State Security Forces commanders must face justice for this massacre,” she added.
“[The November 2019 uprising] was a manifestation of the burning determination that will continue to carry on until the mullahs’ religious dictatorship is overthrown. “This uprising will carry on until the regime is overthrown in its entirety,” the NCRI President-elect continued.
“Wherever we look, we can see a widespread and powerful desire for the overthrow of Khamenei’s regime as discontent and protests are simmering in Iranian society,” she added.
“The November 2019 uprising and its social and political ramifications have been moving like a powerful tide throughout the past year, shaking the ground beneath the mullahs’ feet,” the NCRI President-elect added.
The mullahs are banking on the revival of the policy of appeasement to prevent the overthrow of their regime, Madam Rajavi said in her speech, adding that they are in for a big disappointment. “We believe and our people believe that the time has come for the overthrow of the mullahs’ religious dictatorship. The policy of appeasement cannot be repeated, and even if it does, it would not solve any of the regime’s problems,” she added.
“This nation and this resistance movement rely on their own will and on their own capacity to sacrifice. Their energy to make advancement comes from their own capacity to bring about change…The clear and definitive conclusion of the developments of the past year since the November uprising is that there will be an irreversible and overpowering face-off between the Iranian society and the religious fascism. From a political standpoint, this is the beginning of the destruction of the foundations of the regime by the Iranian people and ultimately uprooting it.”
The message of the uprising was that the regime must go and it is on the verge of collapse.
The regime’s tactics of terrorism and repression to scare the people and is no longer effective. Generation after generation, the people of Iran have stood and supported the MEK. The resistance has its roots in the Iranian society.
Generation after generation, the people of Iran have stood and supported the MEK. The resistance has its roots in the Iranian society.
The mullahs have not refrained from any tactic to eliminate the MEK, including terrorism, rocket attacks, demonization campaigns, and the execution of MEK members and supporters. All the while MEK members in Ashraf 3 and the Resistance Units inside Iran have become the regime’s nightmare.
The regime’s demonization campaigns against the leaders and members of the MEK has only strengthened the Iranian Resistance.
The MEK are the focal point of hope for the youth of Iran. The Resistance has proven that if we believe and remain committed to our desire to bring freedom, we will prevail.
The people of Iran overthrew the Shah regime. They will no doubt succeed in overthrowing the mullahs’ regime.
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There is a will to stand up in Iran. This is the kind of will we see in Ashraf, where the regime
tried to bring an end to the MEK through brutal attacks. But the MEK members resisted in Ashraf and defeated the regime. We see the same kind of spirit in the youth of Iran, who are resisting the regime.
This shows how much the regime fears the power of the youth. They are the ones who are constituting the Resistance Units.
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The key message of the November 2019 uprising was that the Iranian regime is on the verge of being overthrown. It is a backward regime. The regime spends millions of dollars to whitewash their crimes and to push the narrative that they are the only option. But the uprising showed how much the people reject the regime. The slogans of the November 2019 protests also showed that
the people don’t want any despots, whether it is the mullahs or the shah. The regime’s lobbyists will do whatever they can to throw a lifeline to the regime. They try to discredit the Iranian opposition. But at the same time senior officials blame the MEK for the uprisings. The mullahs are afraid of the growing support for MEK inside Iran. This is an organization that is fighting for the people’s rights.
Click here to listen the full speech