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Shots fired at Iranian mourners during protest commemorations
Gunfire erupted at a cemetery in Abdanan, western Iran, on Tuesday as crowds gathered to honor victims of last month's deadly government crackdown on demonstrations. Video evidence shows a uniformed security official discharging a weapon toward mourners, sparking panic.
Incident details
Footage verified by BBC Verify and BBC Persian captures the moment an armored vehicle passes through the crowd before a security official fires two shots. The first shot is directed away from the camera, while the second appears aimed at the mourners. Smoke is visible near the weapon after each discharge, and screams can be heard as people flee.
Another video from the scene shows distant smoke and additional gunfire as attendees scatter. The commemoration was held for Alireza Seydi, a teenager from Abdanan killed during protests in Tehran last month, whose image appeared on a billboard at the site.
Nationwide protests and crackdown
Iranians traditionally observe the 40th day after a death with ceremonies, and recent events have become focal points for anti-government sentiment. On Tuesday, crowds in Tehran, Mashhad, and Abdanan chanted slogans against the regime, including "death to Khamenei," referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
State media, however, broadcast official ceremonies where attendees were led in chants of "death to America," with senior government and military figures in attendance. State-run IRIB News denied reports of injuries or fatalities at the Abdanan event, calling it peaceful.
Protests escalate amid economic crisis
The unrest began in late December over economic grievances but intensified after Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran's late shah, called for nationwide demonstrations on January 8 and 9. The government's response marked one of the deadliest crackdowns in recent years, with protests spreading to 68 cities and towns.
While exact death tolls remain unverified, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has documented 7,015 fatalities and over 53,000 arrests. Khamenei acknowledged thousands of deaths last month but blamed the U.S. for the violence.
Ongoing tensions
Commemoration events continue to serve as flashpoints for dissent, with authorities attempting to control the narrative while opposition voices persist in public displays of defiance.
"Supplies of grief have become acts of resistance," an unnamed protester told BBC Persian.
