TEHRAN Hundreds of citizens of the American city of Memphis, Tennessee marked the assassination anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. and called for justice and equality in a demonstration.

The demonstrators also asked for support and the continuation of Martin Luther King's path. Joseph Laurie addressing the crowd said that the only way to achieve equal rights for Blacks is to work to achieve the goals of the late Martin Luther King. He also condemned the Bush administration and previous U.S. administrations for their hindering Martin Luther King's movement for justice.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the leaders of the civil rights movement in the U.S. in the 1960s. He was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968. The assassination sparked riots across the United States. It is still unclear who was behind the assassination.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought against racism and discrimination and opposed the Vietnam War. At the time that the civil rights movement began, Blacks were still being denied the right to vote in some southern states. Many Black people were killed for trying to vote and for registering people to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a major achievement of the movement. The anniversary was marked in Mason Church and the crowd was addressed by Jesse Jackson, who was accompanying Martin Luther King when he was assassinated.