Memorial Rallies in Iran Ignite Clashes and Anti-Khamenei Chants

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Written by
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)

Demonstrations and Clashes in Abdanan; Chants of “Death to Khamenei” in Tehran, Mashhad, and Other Cities

On the evening of Monday, February 16, and Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 40th-day memorial ceremonies for the martyrs of the uprising in various cities across the country became scenes of public outcry against the clerical regime.

In Abdanan, demonstrations that began on Monday night led to clashes with suppressive forces on Tuesday. The regime attempted to quell the protests by cutting off the internet, firing tear gas, dispatching reinforcements, and opening fire. Rebellious youths responded with chants of “Death to Khamenei, curses on Khomeini.”

In Mashhad, defiant youths and residents marked the 40th-day memorial of the martyr Hamid Mahdavi. Despite the presence of suppressive forces and the siege of the mosque where the ceremony was held, they chanted, “We swear by the blood of our comrades, we stand until the end” and “We did not offer martyrs to compromise, to praise the murderous leader.”

In Behesht-e Zahra, Tehran, a large crowd gathered at the grave of the uprising martyr Sepehr Shakouri, known as “Sepehr Baba.” They renewed their pledge to the martyrs with chants of “Cannons, tanks, machine guns are no longer effective,” “So many years of crime, death to this Velayat [regime],” and “Death to the oppressor.”

In Najafabad, people marched holding large photos of the martyrs. Massive crowds attended the ceremony for the martyr Mehran Heidari Babanazar in Hashtgerd and the martyrs’ ceremony in Malekshahi. In Zanjan, the 40th-day ceremony for Iliya Ojaghloo turned into a protest, with the distribution of sweets and chants of “For every person killed, a thousand rise to replace him.”

People took to the streets in Kermanshah for the 40th day of Tiam Kianimanesh, in Shahin Shahr for Mohammad Reza Ghorbani, in Bandar Ganaveh for Karim Heidari, in Shahriar for Ali Gholamloo, and in Saveh for 17-year-old Navid Nazemi Maleki, chanting, “This fallen flower is a gift to the homeland.” In Bukan, the ceremony for Siavash Shirzad, and in Quchan, the ceremony for Yousef Bakhshi were held, highlighted by the fiery speech of the martyr’s mother and the chant, “I will kill, I will kill, whoever killed my brother.”

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)

17 February 2026

 

https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/ncri-statements/statement-iran-protest/memorial-rallies-in-iran-ignite-clashes-and-anti-khamenei-chants/