Aftermath of the Massacre
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Streets were littered with bodies, and hospitals were overwhelmed with the injured.
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Eyewitnesses described pools of blood in the square, giving rise to the term “Black Friday.”
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That same day, foreign media broadcast shocking images and accounts, spreading outrage beyond Iran’s borders.
Immediate Consequences
Collapse of Trust
Black Friday shattered any remaining illusions about the Shah’s willingness to compromise.
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Many Iranians concluded that reconciliation with the monarchy was impossible.
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The opposition, already diverse, now found unity in anger. Moderate liberals who had hoped for reform lost credibility, while revolutionary clerics gained momentum.
Propaganda and Numbers
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Opposition leaders deliberately inflated casualty numbers, sometimes speaking of “thousands killed.”
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Though later research corrected these claims, the perception of mass slaughter proved more influential than the actual statistics.
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The massacre became a mythic symbol of martyrdom, feeding into Shi’a traditions of mourning and resistance.
