SOURCE: Persia House
http://www.persia-house.com/node/1113
Security Forces Prepare to Crack Down during Ancient Persian Holiday Now a Venue for Youthful Rebellion
Events in recent months have caused officials to take special measures into consideration for the last Wednesday of the year [Chaharshanbeh Suri: the last Tuesday evening of the Iranian calendar year, which is celebrated in streets and neighborhoods throughout Iran with bonfires and firecrackers] in order to prevent abuse of the celebration.
The Chaharshanbeh Suri celebrations, which begin on the evening of Tuesday, March 15, will be the next test of the regime’s ability to maintain public order and prevent anti-government activity. Given the regime’s state of readiness, opposition activity during the festival may be limited to isolated demonstrations in neighborhoods in Tehran and some of the other large cities in Iran. Chaharshanbeh Suri is an ancient Zoroastrian festival celebrating the imminent arrival of spring and the Iranian New Year.
The Iranian security forces and judiciary are preparing in advance to quash any unrest, and confront anyone who might use the celebrations (which normally last into the early hours of Wednesday morning) as an opportunity to demonstrate against the Iranian regime. In addition to putting the security and fire services on alert, the government is planning speedy trials before specially assigned judges for anyone arrested on Chaharshanbeh Suri—including for possession of firecrackers. The Tehran Prosecutor and the Commander of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces have warned that anyone causing a disturbance on the streets of Tehran will not be dealt with leniently. These security preparations are in contrast to the more permissive approach the government took in the past.
Iranians of all religions and ethnicities have traditionally celebrated Chaharshanbeh Suri by jumping over bonfires and sending children door-to-door to ask for treats. Over the past decade, however, Iran’s youths have transformed the celebration into an occasion to vent their frustration against social restrictions placed on them by the Islamic Republic. In the more Westernized parts of Tehran, for instance, it is not uncommon to see spontaneous dance parties, illegal in Iran, erupt in the middle of the street, sometimes with girls removing their headscarves. Even more widespread is the use of firecrackers and cherry bombs with such high power to shatter windows and keep families indoors for fear of injury.
Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has not called for mass protests on March 15, despite requests by some government opponents for demonstrators to mobilize, likely out of fear that demonstrations could degenerate into violence. His reluctance to mobilize demonstrators may also be an acknowledgement that the security forces are expected to be as successful in blocking the movements of protestors as they were during the February 11 anniversary of the Islamic Revolution
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