Saturday marked the 44th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. However, President Ebrahim Raisi’s televised speech was interrupted by anti-government hackers, according to CNN.
The news: Partially through Raisi’s speech at Azadi Square, the live television broadcast was interrupted by a logo on screen for a group of anti-Iranian government hackers, “Edalate Ali (Justice of Ali),” according to CNN.
His speech was interrupted for around one minute with a video showing a person with a mask, in which a voice shouted in the background “Death to the Islamic Republic,” WION News reported.
- The group also called on viewers to remove their money from state banks and to participate in anti-government protests on Feb. 16, according to Iran International.
Details: During the speech, President Ebrahim Raisi called the anti-Iranian government protesters “deceived youth,” and claimed victory over the movement, the Deutsche Welle reported.
“People have realized that the enemy’s problem is not woman, life, or freedom, Raisi said, per DW, “Rather, they want to take our independence.”
The bigger picture: DW states that outside of the country, many Iranians spent the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution protesting against the government and its suppression of women’s rights.
- Anti-Iranian government protest has been on the rise since September 2022, when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested by the country’s morality police who claimed that she was wearing her hijab incorrectly. Amini died under police custody, and some claim that her death was caused by the police, per Deseret News. Police state that her death was the result of a heart attack.
- Amini’s death sparked outrage, with thousands of people in Iran and other countries taking to the street and condemning the government of Iran’s mortality laws. Protesters and civil rights groups claim that the laws mainly target women, and are unethical, Euronews reported.