TEHRAN - Huge crowds of people on Sunday poured into the streets in Tehran to denounce deadly violent acts and desecration of Islamic sanctities by rioters over the past week.

The massive number of demonstrators who converged on Revolution Square took all by surprise. According to the Tasnim news agency, the demonstrations stretched from Imam Hussein Square.

The rallies were in response by rioters who have been using the death of a young woman in police custody as a pretext to vent their anger over security forces and commit acts of sabotage.

Top officers, including IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami and Police Chief Brigadier General Hossein Ashtari, participated in the rallies.

General Ashtari, whose forces have been targeted by violent protestors, was warmly welcomed by the people.

Demonstrators chanted slogans against rioters, the U.S., Israel and Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO), an anti-Iran terrorist group, that along with others have been trying to inflame riots.

Also, they renewed their unwavering support for police force and measures taken by them to restore calm across the country following days of violent riots, Press TV reported.

The people offered flowers to police personnel, who have been the main target of violent protestors, along the path of demonstration.

The demonstrators also held a funeral procession for a member of Basij force who was martyred by rioters in Tehran while trying to restore security to the capital.

At the end, the participants issued a statement calling on all relevant officials to take necessary measures to identify and punish those rioters who insulted sanctities and damaged public property.

They also asked for the punishment of those who launch false information and spread rumors on various social media platforms to provoke the people.

Addressing the demonstrators at Revolution Square, Tehran Friday prayer leader Ali Akbari said Iran holds arrogant countries responsible for all these vicious acts. He also vowed that Iran will take avenge of those behind these acts.

He added anti-revolutionary elements, including those allied to MKO, will be severely punished by the Judiciary.

“We will take avenge from blind-hearted monafeqin and terrorists.”

Monafeqin, meaning hypocrites, refers to members of the MKO.

Elsewhere in his speech, he said there is a difference between “excited youth” from “criminal rioters” in the protests in certain cities and towns.

Earlier in the day millions of people took to the streets in other cities to condemn riot acts over the past few days.

People took the streets in many cities and towns, including Mashhad, Qazvin, Isfahan, Hamedan Yasuj, to show their unity and outrage over the recent acts of sabotage by rioters.

Interestingly, Persian-language media owned by the Royal dynasty of the United Kingdom, namely the BBC Persian, goes as far as to reporting the burning of “one” trash can in Mashhad, but decides to censor the massive rally held in various cities condemning violent acts fueled by Western mainstream media.

Protests broke out in several cities over the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl who died at the hospital three days after collapsing at a police station in Tehran, where she and a group of others were receiving training on dress code rules.

Despite Iranian officials’ clarification on the circumstances surrounding Amini’s death, violent street protests have led to attacks on security officers and acts of vandalism against public property and sanctities.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who has been tasked by the president to investigate the issues surrounding the Amini case, has said forensic medicine shows that she had not been beaten by police. Vahidi has said rumors that a blow to Amini’s head was the cause of the death is a pure disinformation campaign by ill-wishers.