For the Iranian regime, large gatherings of the Iranian people are to be feared. In the past few years, protests have increased and the election in 2009 resulted in what can only be described as an uprising. Since then, every protest has struck fear into the hearts of the ruling mullahs, as they wonder if this is the set of protests that will unseat them.

As a result, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been activated to clamp down on any potential protests. This means tracking social media and discouraging gatherings for the Fire Festival, which has a long history with the Iranian people.

The regime and its judiciary has also been active in clamping down on the sales of fireworks, in an attempt to keep people from gathering to celebrate. Businesses are being threatened with the loss of their licenses if they are found to be selling fireworks, which appear to be temporarily outlawed.

All of this points to the fact that the regime continues to use repressive measures, including human right violations, to keep the Iranian people from making significant changes in the government that rules over them.

Time and again, the Iranian people are being denied their rights, while the regime plunders the national resources of Iran. Additionally, agreements made with the international community are focused on rewarding the regime for minor concessions in its nuclear program, but the reality is that this appeasement has only encouraged the regime to continue to act against its own people.

Now the Iranian people are reaching the point where they have had enough. The recent release of a budget by the regime showed that the Iranian people are having their subsidies cut, while the religious organizations and the military are being given even more funds. On the other hand, workers are being denied their wages and many young people cannot find work.

The protests that started in 2017 and continued into 2018 are clearly an example of the Iranian people flexing their muscle and displeasure with the regime.

Now this latest festival is being seen as a chance to call the Iranian people to protest for their freedom from the mullahs and their fundamentalism. The PMOI, with its leadership inside Iran, have already called for protests as part of the festival.

“The national festival of Chaharshanbeh Suri, a ceremony celebrating freedom and light in the darkness is approaching. The uprising is flaring again in Iran… At the national festival of Chaharsahnbe Suri; every alley will be a trench, every house a castle, and every street will turn into a battlefield for the campaign for freedom. At the national ceremony of Chaharshanbeh Suri, the young people will initiate another insurrection against the clerical dictatorship… There is no stopping the storm of uprising, and it will continue until the overthrow of religious fascism with the slogans of death to the principle of Velayat-e faqih (rule of the clergy). The auspicious Spring of Freedom is on its way. Iran will be free,” said a statement from the PMOI.

In response, the chief of State Security Forces in Tehran has said, “On the eve of Tuesday March 20, 2018 from 15:00 hours, officers will be on standby in full alert, enabling them to have the necessary control and management.”

IRGC Brigadier Hossein Rahimi said, “All major and busy places will be covered and controlled from the point of view of order, traffic and security, by our personnel.” The Judiciary has also indicated that any public disorder will be dealt with harshly.

The point is to keep the protests they fear from ever taking place, but they cannot keep the Iranian people from speaking out indefinitely. The Fire Festival is just another opportunity for the voice of the people to be heard.