The Tehran Military Commander had declared Martial Law at 6 o’clock in the morning of that same day, prohibiting gatherings of more than 3 people. Military forces who had taken up positions in Jaleh Square since very early that morning, tried to disperse the protesters by calling on them [to leave] through loudspeakers as soon as they saw them. The protesters did not heed the calls, however, and defied them, resulting in the military opening fire on and killing a large number of the protesters. The September 8 events widened the rift and increased the tension between the people and the government.
After Black Friday, there were more demonstrations and more extensive street skirmishes in cities across the country. The Tehran Military Command announced that there had been 87 dead and 205 wounded in the incident. The government opposition announced the number of people killed on September 8, was more than 4000, and stated that 500 people had been killed in Jaleh Square. According to the tally published years later based on documents available at the Islamic Revolution Shahid (“Martyr”) Foundation, 88 individuals had been killed on September 8, 64 in Jaleh Square and another 22 in other locations in Tehran.
