Thousands of Iranians held demonstrations on Monday to mark the 29th anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran by Iranian students.
The demonstrators, including schoolchildren and university students, gathered outside the former U.S. embassy in central Tehran, shouting anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans.
Monday marks 13 of Aban (the eighth month) in the Iranian calendar. On 13 of Aban in the Iranian year of 1358 (Nov. 4, 1979), the U.S. embassy was stormed by Iranian students and its personnel were held hostage for 444 days.
The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980 over the embassy takeover and their ties have remained severed ever since.
"The first fruit of the seizure of the 'Den of Spies' was to clarify the Islamic regime's anti-arrogance stance in the world," Iranian Deputy Parliament Speaker Seied Mohammad Hassan Abutorabifard told the rally, referring to the former U.S. embassy.
"The second achievement of this event was to pave the path for other muslim nations to preserve their identity and dignity," Abutorabifard said in front of cheering crowds.
Referring to the United States implicitly, he said that "downgrading the global arrogance's pretence to greatness was another achievement of the seizure of the 'Den of Spies.'"
Iran holds rallies and meetings every year to mark the day for three significance in Iranian history: Takeover of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran by university students in 1979; Declaration of the day as the "Students' Day" in remembrance of several students killed in 1978 while taking part in protest rally against the former Shah; Sending to exile of the late Imam Khomeini in 1963.
Source: Xinhua
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