By ALI AKBAR DAREINI

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Angered by the United States' labeling of Iran as part of an "axis of evil," hundreds of thousands of Iranians chanted "Death to America" on Monday during demonstrations to mark the 23rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

The gathering was much larger than last year's commemorations as Iranians used the occasion to show their anger with President Bush's condemnation of their country in his State of the Union address. Many Iranians who said they rarely join such celebrations spoke of taking to the streets to show solidarity.

Men, women and children poured into Tehran's Freedom Square carrying anti-U.S. banners and burning effigies of Uncle Sam.

"This year, despite insults to the great Iranian nation and the trumped-up charges against it, the Iranian nation has commemorated the anniversary of its revolt on a greater scale than before," President Mohammad Khatami said.

State television reported that millions of people took part in rallies in all major Iranian cities.

Khatami said the United States should understand the message of Iran's revolution: independence, freedom and an Islamic Republic.

His speech was repeatedly interrupted by chants of "Death to America!" - a phrase dating to the days of the 1979 revolution that lost its edge in recent years as the idea of a gradual rapprochement with the United States gained a following among Khatami's reform-minded supporters.

Early in the U.S. war on terrorism, American officials spoke of better cooperation with Iran after it tacitly approved their campaign to topple the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan. But recently, U.S. officials have accused Tehran of trying to undermine Afghanistan's new government and of smuggling weapons to the Palestinians. Iran denies the charges.

Last month, President Bush said in his State of the Union address that Iran was part of an "axis of evil" - along with Iraq and North Korea - because it seeks weapons of mass destruction, an allegation that Iran denies.

Bush also said Iran "exports terror, while an unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom."

Bush's words have drawn strong condemnation across Iran's political spectrum. They have pushed the nation's domestic political troubles - a long-standing power struggle between moderate and conservative clerics - into the background, at least for now, as people pull together against what was perceived as an unwarranted insult.

Khatami acknowledged there were "many differences" among Iran's leaders, a reference to the power struggle, but said the country is united in supporting the cause of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

"Let's not conceal that there are deficiencies and dissatisfaction, but undoubtedly the whole nation is united in supporting the revolution and the path it has chosen," he said.

The reformist president also suggested U.S. foreign policy bore responsibility for the Sept. 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington - a widely held view in the region.

"The American people have every right to ask their leaders how long should they pay the price for their faulty policies. What policies and what reasons caused the Sept. 11 attacks?" he said.

One of those taking part in the demonstration, the chief of the elite revolutionary guards, Gen. Rahim Safavi, told state television: "Today's rallies are the biggest deterrent to U.S. threats. The people have shown they have remained faithful to the objectives of the revolution."

The streets were awash in color as people carried placards and balloons in the red, white and green colors of the Iranian flag. Helicopters dropped red flowers over the crowd.

Banners written in Farsi and English read "We still follow the ideals of the Islamic revolution" and "America cannot do a damn thing" - a favorite expression of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader of the revolution.

One placard read in English: "Bush is a Dracula."

"Outside threats only result in greater national unity," said Zahra Dowlatabadi, a 40-year-old homemaker who said national pride after Bush's speech led her to attend her first mass demonstration in years.

Monday's demonstration marked the final day of festivities commemorating the 1979 revolution, which swept the U.S.-backed Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi from power.

FUCK THESE COCK SUCKING IRANIANS FOR ACCUSING OUR OWN GOVERNMENT FOR THE ACTIONS OF SEPTEMBER 11. Their saying that because of our involvement in the middle east over past years, we paid the price. BULLSHIT, because if we had got more involved like we should have, Osama bin fuck would be dead and nothing would have happened. I know this is just old shit you have already heard, but it just pissed me off so bad again when i read this. Their not an "axis of evil," they are SHIT. Dont give them a promotion to the level of being an axis or any other organization.

I had a vision while reading this:

"Twenty Five thousand Iranians are dead today. In a massive protest regarding the fact that President Bush actually credited them with being more than just shit-eating monkey fuckers, they rallied in reference to being called 'an axis of evil'. The protest grew and grew as ignorance breeds ignorance. The streets were soon full of morons who were carrying signs that read 'Bad is UAS' and 'Bush is a Calendar'. No one really knows what these signs mean, but they were sure happy with themselves. That was until a C-130 flew overhead and dropped a parachuted item. Most thought it was a package or some other free aid that the United States usually sends the way of the worthless, but in this case, they were wrong. Eyewitnesses said nothing as they were all dead. The United States goverment does not deny anything. "Hell yeah we dropped a bomb on em...FUCK EM! What are they gonna do?" said General Eric K. Shinsheki, Army Chief of Staff. "They can suck my white ass" said Air Force General Michael E. Ryan, "I was the pilot of the mission, and I'll go on record saying that we dropped a daisy cutter on those fucking donkey fuckers." "As much as we regret the civilians that were killed, *snicker* we applaud the fact that these people are wiped off the planet" President George W. Bush said in a press conference. "Anyone who says anything about the United States and/or September 11th in a negative tone will now be dealt with in such a manner. It's time that these assholes learn not to fuck with us!" Said the president. The Iranian President had this to say, ".......I don't think that was very appropriate behavior for the United States. They think they can do that..AAAAAA!" The Iranian Vice President had this to say, "Go USA! Don't kill me! Go USA! Those people shouldn't have protested. It was wrong for them and they deserved it. Get in the back!" In other news, the President has made the charge that all citizens within the US should watch for any anti-USA behaviors and deal with these people appropriately. He also stated that if you know of someone who does not speak english and lives within the United States, you may beat them without fear of punishment. Any anti-war, anti-USA or PRO-Taliban protest will be bombed. All enemies, foreign and domestic. So stay away from those protests, because they obviously didn't read this. "

[This message has been edited by Ender (edited 02-11-2002).]

You can't get any uglier without adding or removing chromosomes. They're obviously the product of generations of sister-brother, son-mother, or brother-brother breeding (after all, they do look like asshole babies.) And why are all these fuckers named Al? All their mothers must be fucking stupid too if they can't come up with an original name.