(Tehran) Thousands of people demonstrated across Iran on Friday to mark “Jerusalem Day” in support of the Palestinian cause, amid an upsurge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The rallies took place in Tehran and several other cities like Tabriz (northwest), Hamadan (west), Yazd (east), Bandar Abbas (south) and Abadan (southwest), according to state media.
Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iranians have celebrated “Al-Quds Day” (Jerusalem in Arabic) every year on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, in solidarity with the Palestinians.
“Death to Israel and America,” chanted demonstrators waving Palestinian, Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah Shiite flags.
“The destruction of Israel is near” or “Palestine is the axis of the unity of the Muslim world”, proclaimed placards.
In central Tehran, demonstrators burned American and Israeli flags as well as portraits of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, AFP journalists noted.
“Jerusalem Day” comes this year amid an upsurge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, recently marked by deadly attacks, rocket attacks from Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, followed by reprisals Israelis.
“Palestinians actively oppose Israeli aggression in Gaza today,” Speaker of Parliament Bagher Ghalibaf said in a speech in Tehran on Friday.