Thousands gathered across Iran on 19 February 2026 to mark the fortieth day since the Dey massacre, turning memorials into powerful protests against the Islamic Republic. From Tehran and Mashhad to Karaj, Isfahan and dozens of other cities, crowds chanted \u201cDeath to the dictator\u201d and vowed to stand \u201cto the end.\u201d Universities suspended classes, families delivered defiant speeches, and Abdanan remained a flashpoint with new arrests despite internet shutdowns. The message is clear: the demand for justice is growing, not fading.<\/p>\n
Thousands gather nationwide for fortieth-day justice ceremonies<\/strong><\/p>\n Abdanan remains a flashpoint of protest and arrests<\/strong><\/p>\n 19 February 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Marking the fortieth day since the mass killing of thousands of revolutionary protesters in January, large-scale memorial and justice-seeking ceremonies were held across Iran on 19 January 2026. Massive crowds gathered in dozens of cities, turning commemorations into powerful political demonstrations against the Islamic Republic.<\/p>\n Cities and areas where ceremonies took place include Tehran (Behesht-e Zahra), Abdanan, Mashhad, Najafabad (Isfahan), Karaj, Malekshahi, Dezful, Genaveh, Nowshahr, Ardakan, Fooladshahr, Bushehr, Boneh-Gaz village near Bushehr, Babol, Marvdasht, Rostamkola (Behshahr), Damghan, Mobarakeh, Yazdanshahr, Hashtgerd, Ramhormoz, Khoy, Chalous, Arak, Qarchak (Varamin), Kermanshah, Golpayegan, Nahavand, Fardis, Qazvin, Zarrinshahr, Ilam, Isfahan, Songhor, Gorgan, and Zanjan.<\/strong><\/p>\n At universities in Shiraz, Tehran, Kharazmi, and Ferdowsi (Mashhad)<\/strong>, students held gatherings, chanted slogans, and suspended classes in memory of the fallen.<\/p>\n Across these ceremonies, thousands held photos of the victims while performing mourning dances. Passionate speeches were delivered by families seeking justice. In several locations, flowers were scattered on the streets as participants declared their determination to end what they described as the \u201chell of the criminal Islamic Republic.\u201d<\/p>\n Chants heard at the gatherings included:<\/p>\n Further ceremonies have been called for 19 February and beyond, with organisers describing them as a decisive political response to a regime of execution and massacre.<\/p>\n Abdanan: ongoing protests and arrests<\/strong><\/p>\n Abdanan remains a major centre of protest. On 16 February, residents took to the streets chanting anti-government slogans including \u201cDeath to Khamenei\u201d and \u201cFree political prisoners.\u201d Despite internet shutdowns, dozens were reportedly arrested.<\/p>\n On 17 February, residents gathered outside the city courthouse demanding the release of detainees amid a heavy security presence.<\/p>\n The Worker-communist Party of Iran salutes the justice-seeking and revolutionary people of Iran, stands with the courageous people of Abdanan, and reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees from Abdanan and all those arrested in January and February.<\/p>\n School Closures and Public Mobilisation<\/strong><\/p>\n In parallel, the Coordinating Council of Teachers\u2019 Trade Associations\u2019 call to close schools in memory of slain students was widely observed despite security threats. A large social media campaign in support of the call gained significant traction.<\/p>\n The widespread memorial ceremonies, school closures, and continuing protests reflect what organisers describe as a society rising from beneath state violence \u2014 determined and defiant in its demand for justice.<\/p>\n Worker-communist Party of Iran<\/strong><\/p>\n 19 February 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n