Pasargadae No. 2
In order to demonstrate national unity against the anti-national and anti-Iranian regime of Velayat-e Faqih, people from different cities of the country started to go to Pasargadae since Friday, October 27 to commemorate Cyrus the Great. In fear of the rally turning into an uprising against the clerical regime, regime officials have taken repressive measures for the past few weeks to prevent this move. These measures have intensified since last week, especially during the past three days:
1. To prevent people from entering Pasargadae, Revolutionary Guards, Basij, Police and plain-clothed forces were sent from neighboring provinces and cities to Fars province and the surrounding areas of Pasargadae. They have been controlling the roads leading to towns near Pasargadae. This was led to massive crowds gathering at different checkpoints.
2. Some of these forces are patrolling the area in black cars with no license plates. All roads and parking lots in Pasargadae and around it are full of repressive forces.
3. IRGC and police forces are patrolling with helicopter over the Pasargadae area and around it.
4. The IRGC forces remove and take with them the number plates of cars that are on the paths leading to Pasargadae, or those which have stopped up to a distance of 20 km from the highway.
5. At the Pasargadae gas station, they have closed the ‘automated teller machine (ATM)’ so that nobody can withdraw money.
6. Internet has been interrupted in Pasargadae and surrounding areas.
7. Since Friday morning, the security forces and the anti-riot guards, including IRGC female forces and the Basijis, also inspect vehicles on the routes to Shiraz, and return each car whose plate does not belong to Fars province.
8. Parts of the Isfahan-Shiraz road have been blocked by the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development on the pretext of repairs.
9. At 19:00 hours on Friday, a number of guards at the green square of Saadat -Shahr (25 km away from Pasargadae) forced people into cars and forced them to leave the city. A number of people were arrested in the area.
10. On the route from Marvdasht to Pasargadae, a checkpoint is located every 20 km. The mercenaries are trying to confiscate vehicles on the pretext of incomplete documentation, and prevent them from heading to Pasargadae.
11. The police force intimidated families in the park adjacent to the Chamran Blvd. Shiraz, smashed their hookahs and seized or broke their cell phones.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
October 29, 2017