4. When Protestors Organized Against the Shah, He Had the Military Fire on Them
While some were benefiting from the shah’s reforms, by and large, the Iranian people were becoming increasingly destitute while the Shah was further consolidating both his wealth and his power over the country. And many were furious that he threw such an extravagant party at their cost. They believed that money spent on the festivities should have been used for helping increase things like food security, not showing off for leaders of other countries. Ayatollah Khomeini, in particular, was very outspoken against the celebration. To him and many others, this was the last straw.
Shortly after the 2,500-year celebration, protests against the Shah became more and more frequent. He had defamed Islam, kowtowed to Western imperialism, and caused a breakdown of Iran’s social fabric, all while under the support of the United States. SAVAK, his secret police, had tortured and killed an untold number of Iranians. The Shah responded by having the military open fire on protestors. Many people died or were wounded as a result. The casualties were regarded by many as martyrs for the cause of revolution and were held up as symbols of the resistance and of the Shah’s tyranny, leading to an increase in hostility and opposition. The Shah had Iranian blood on his hands, and the people could not be silent.