In a defiant message on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said nationwide anti-government protests have been defeated.
His comments on February 11 came as thousands of Iranians marched in cities across Iran and the military showed off some of its hardware in the capital, Tehran.
The ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the revolution, a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979, takes place every year on February 11. Many of the celebrations are marked by extensive government propaganda.
Iran has witnessed protests since September after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman detained by the country’s morality police. The demonstrations at first focused on Iran’s mandatory head scarf, or hijab, but later included calls for a new revolution.
In a speech on February 11 at Azadi Square in the capital, Tehran, Raisi took aim at the protests, claiming they are a project of Iran's enemies aimed at stopping the nation from continuing its achievements.
Raisi called the celebration “epic” and a show of “national integrity” while praising what he called postrevolution achievements in the country.
Meanwhile, Telewebion, a web TV service affiliated with Iranian state TV, was briefly hacked during Raisi's speech, Iranian media reported. In a 44-second video published on Twitter, the hacking group Edalate Ali, or the Justice of Ali, invited people to take part in nationwide protests next week and urged Iranians to withdraw their money from banks. The video ended with the slogans: "Death to [Supreme Leader Ayatollah] Khamenei" and "Death to the Islamic republic."
Ahead of the anniversary, families of those killed by authorities in Iran -- including during the recent protests sparked by Amini’s death -- launched a campaign on Twitter urging foreign diplomats to avoid government ceremonies to mark the occasion.
The opposition activist collective 1500tasvir reported that the families of several victims killed by state authorities, including Nika Shakarami, Navid Afkari, and Mino Majidi, had created the hashtag #BoycottIRIDay on Twitter and are asking diplomatic missions based in Iran to boycott the ceremonies.
Videos posted on social media earlier this week showed protesters in several Iranian cities setting fire to propaganda banners hung by the government to promote the revolution and anniversary celebrations around it.
Amini's death, which officials blamed on a heart attack, touched off a wave of anti-government protests in cities across the country. Authorities have responded to the unrest with a harsh crackdown that rights groups say has killed more than 500 people, including 71 children.
Human rights groups estimate that around 20,000 people have been arrested in connection with the protests so far.
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights Group estimates that around 100 prisoners may be facing the death penalty.