A narration from the event of 17th of Shahrivar

Translated by: M.B. Khoshnevisan

2025-4-28

Early on the morning of Friday, 17^th of Shahrivar 1357 (September 17, 1978), I found myself in an area I was familiar with, unaware of the gathering that would form there and the intense reaction it would provoke. I had anticipated a march similar to previous days, so I ventured onto the street with a tape recorder I had brought back from my recent trip abroad. As I entered Saqabashi Street, I was met with an unusual scene. Smoke billowed from the square, and young people, along with others, were fleeing in a panic. They appeared flushed, terrified, and dressed in dirty, disheveled clothing. Naturally, I found myself swept up in the crowd, despite standing out with my clean and tidy attire, as well as the presence of my tape recorder. I was on a mission to document the events of the day, so I diligently recorded the voices, slogans, and chaos unfolding around me. The forces stationed in Zhaleh Square were launching attacks, and on two occasions, individuals were seen firing shots from rooftops overlooking the area. It turned out that the individuals shooting from the rooftops were actually SAVAK agents. They were firing into the air to escalate tensions in the area. As I was affected by this tense atmosphere, a group of people grew suspicious of me and detained me, questioning me repeatedly. They believed I was an agent, possibly from SAVAK, attempting to gather information from behind enemy lines. They confiscated my tape recorder, and I was on the brink of being attacked until one person in the group, the son of an acquaintance, recognized me and intervened. He managed to retrieve my tape recorder and return it to me, saving me from harm. I resumed recording because the content was crucial for editing and sharing news with forces abroad. I was in communication with contacts overseas, preparing the tape to send for release. However, I encountered another unfamiliar group that forcefully took the recording from me, resulting in the loss of the tape. Despite my pleas for its return, they refused, leaving me without both the tape and the recorder.

I remember that day vividly. All the residents of the houses on the streets of Iran, Saqabashi, Gote, and all the streets leading to Zhaleh Square opened their doors. The officers were following the crowd and the people, so the residents there also sheltered the people. They received the wounded in their homes and bandaged their wounds with primary equipment. Many people took out their cloths and sheets from inside their homes so that the demonstrators could wrap the wounded or those who might have died in them. In other words, there was a broad and widespread collective cooperation among the people, without prior knowledge or preparation. People cooperated to the fullest extent with the youth and those who had clashed with the officers and the army forces. This was the first incident in the years before the revolution where people spontaneously cooperated with the fighting forces. In the years before that, especially in the second half of the 1340s (1960s), when conflicts arose between political groups opposed to the regime and the agents, people were cautious.

It appears that this was the first event in the years leading up to the revolution where people displayed their willingness and enthusiasm to participate in practical events during challenging social situations, showcasing their readiness and capability.

Source: Sixty Years of Resistance and Service – Memoirs of Engineer Mohammad Tavsoli, Tehran, Kavir Publications, 1398 (2019), pp. 209-211