Direct shooting and brutal arson: the horrific market massacre in Iran

The security forces in Iran shot dead dozens of protesters in the northern city of Rasht, while they were trying to escape a large fire that broke out in the city’s central market. This is according to the testimonies of eyewitnesses and residents given to the Washington Post newspaper, which conducted a comprehensive analysis of the events during the peak days of the protest.

The difficult events took place at the height of a growing protest against the government, which also included a mass closing of shops in the historic market of Roshat as a protest by the merchants. When the open market caught fire, protesters who found shelter there from the security forces tried to escape through the crowded alleys, but were met by riot police and security personnel in civilian clothes, some on motorcycles and some on foot, armed with rifles and automatic weapons.

According to witnesses, the security forces fired directly at the people. Saman, one of the demonstrators, said that the shooting was also carried out at those who were just trying to escape from the fire. According to him, the sights were horrific, and many people were killed even while trying to save the lives of others.

Two other witnesses said that the security forces prevented the fire brigade from immediately arriving at the scene. In the end, more than 30 businesses burned down inside the market itself and on the nearby Shariati street. Analysis of photos and videos shows that the market area has become a gray and charred skeleton.

The Washington Post analyzed more than 40 photos and videos and collected six testimonies from residents and eyewitnesses, in order to reproduce in detail the operation of repression in the head. Due to the disconnection of the internet and telephone by the government, almost no detailed evidence from Iran was published, with an emphasis on the happenings in cities outside of Tehran.

According to information gathered from medical teams in and around the city, more than 80 people were killed in two hospitals in Roshat alone in the two days when the violence reached its peak, on January 8-9. A human rights organization operating outside Iran recorded 392 deaths in the city, almost all of them after the beginning of the communications cutoff in January.

On the other hand, Iranian news agencies affiliated with the regime blamed “hostile elements” to the government and rioters for the attack on the market and nearby mosques, and placed the responsibility on the United States and Israel.

Protests in Iran began at the end of December in Tehran following the collapse of the currency, and quickly spread to many cities. Initially, small protests in early January intensified when shopkeepers in the market went on strike. According to residents, intelligence and security forces pressured the merchants to open the stores and even threatened them if they refused.

On January 7, dozens of people marched inside the market, clapped and cheered each other. That evening, hundreds took to the streets, and the atmosphere in the city, which has more than 700,000 residents, became particularly tense. Unfortunately, almost all commercial activity in the city was shut down.

The SNN channel in Iran, which is affiliated with the regime, in a report from the burnt market in the lead, while blaming “terrorists” for the heavy damage

On the evening of January 8, protests reached a boiling point throughout Iran in general and in Rasht in particular. Demonstrators flowed from the south of the city towards the center, blocking the roads and surrounding cars. Others walked towards the market through a nearby street. According to testimonies, the crowd grew from every street and alley, and included families, children and people of all ages.

Until 20:30 there were tensions but there was no serious violence. Then it seemed that the gates of hell opened: the security forces started shooting directly at the people. Tear gas was used at first, but when the protesters continued to advance, live fire began. People fell to the ground, and screams were heard between the volleys of gunfire.

In a video shot near a government building, a man is heard describing how young people are shot and injured in a matter of minutes, while noting that the Revolutionary Guard forces are shooting at the protesters. According to some testimonies, the regime forces are the ones who started the fire in the historical market and then prevented the protesters from leaving it.

The market of Roshat, which for years was a lively center of life and known throughout Iran, caught fire around nine o’clock in the evening. The flames also spread to buildings and cars on the streets leading to it. It is not clear how the fire started, but witnesses noted strong and hot winds that contributed to its rapid spread.

Some of the protesters who were inside the market found themselves trapped between the fire and the shooting of the security forces. Saman said that masked security forces shot at everyone who came out of the market in the direction of Shariati Street. Another protester described how his friends were slaughtered in front of his eyes when they tried to escape, while armed forces, some on motorcycles, pointed weapons at them.

A student from Rasht University said that he saw classmates shot in the chaos. According to him, people did not know whether to flee or move forward, and the feeling was “apocalyptic”.

According to evidence, fire engines were not allowed to enter the scene until after one in the morning. A live broadcast on state television showed the flames raging hours after the fire broke out, and even when firefighters arrived, the fire was still burning fiercely.

The next morning, Shariati Street was covered in rubble, burnt doors, windows and roofs. Many shops were reduced to coal, and smoke continued to rise from the market. Metal shutters were crushed and glass covered the floor.

Witnesses said that the authorities put pressure on the families of the victims not to publish what happened. One resident said he knew close to ten dead whose families, due to heavy threats, refused to speak publicly. Saman added that some families were afraid to bring their children’s bodies to hospitals, and buried them themselves to prevent the government from dissipating the bodies.

An unknown number of protesters were arrested, and their fate is still unknown. A resident told of a family looking for her son between hospitals and morgues, and finally managed to find out that he had been arrested, but without knowing where he was being held.

Despite a severe curfew that they say was imposed on the city, the residents of Roshat continued to demonstrate even in the days after the fire. “An entire city turned to ash before our eyes, and we burned with it,” said a student from the city. “We saw the market collapse and burn and people live in fear and under fire.”