The Return of Ayatollah Khomeini to Iran

On the 7th of September, thousands of people came out to protest a ban on public gatherings. The following day, the Shah imposed martial law in major cities along with a night time curfew. On the morning of the 8th of September, protesters gathered in Tehran for a religious demonstration unaware that martial law had even been declared. The military told the protesters to leave, but they refused. The military opened fire on the crowd killing dozens of demonstrators and injuring many others in what became known as Black Friday. Following months of protests, the Shah fled Iran in January of 1979, although it was described officially as a vacation. Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran shortly after and was greeted by millions. Iran's armed forces declared their neutrality effectively leading to the end of the monarchy and the end of the Shah's regime.