High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The 2009 Ashura protests were nation wide demonstrations held on 27 December 2009 in Iran against the outcome of the June 2009 Iranian presidential election which they claim was rigged, the demonstrations were part of the 2009 Iranian election protests and were the largest since June. In December 2009, the protests saw an escalation in violence. The Iranian Government security forces opened fire on protesters on the Shi'a holy day of Ashura, a day "symbolically about justice" and during which any kind of violence is forbidden.