Millions of Iranians have taken to the streets nationwide to mark the 39th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in a show of force, just weeks after scattered riots hit several cities and towns.
This year’s rallies came after US President Donald Trump cheered the rioters in a volley of tweets which angered many Iranians who view the American leader’s entreaties as “hypocritical” after he called Iran a “terrorist nation.”
The vehemence of slogans cried out by huge masses of protesters on Sunday sought to reflect that anger toward the US and its president who has banned Iranians from traveling to the United States and refused to properly refer to the Persian Gulf.
In the capital Tehran, hundreds of thousands of people and officials descended on the iconic Azadi Square, where Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani called for “a year of unity” in a speech broadcast across the country.
“I request that the 40th year of the revolution, the coming year, be the year of unity. I ask principlists, reformists, moderates and all parties and all people to come and be together,” he said.