On Dec. 27, 2009, demonstrators took to the streets to protest the results of the June 2009 presidential elections, which they claimed were rigged in favor of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It was one of the bloodiest days of the so-called Green Movement protests that shook the Islamic Republic of Iran. Inflaming tensions further, the date fell on Ashoura, a Shiite holy day and a sensitive one for the government.

Three days later on Dec. 30, 9 Dey in the Iranian calendar, pro-government protesters took the streets in a show of force to condemn Green Movement protesters, who they claimed were being supported by foreigners, particularly the United States, Britain and Israel.

The Green Movement protests that day became known as the Ashoura protests and the pro-government protests three days later became known simply as 9 Dey. The anniversary of 9 Dey is now a significant date for the Iranian media. Many officials give interviews about its significance, state television runs specials surrounding the events and social media becomes particularly active.

Many conservative-linked social media pages shared political cartoons showing the Green Movement protesters as agents of foreign governments. Supporters of the Green Movement share pictures of Green Movement leaders and 2009 presidential candidates Mir Hussein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. Some shared pictures of Mahmoud-Reza Khavari, a conservative official who fled the country after fraud charges, participating in the 9 Dey demonstrations. Twitter users also used the hashtag "We will not forget" in Persian, and posted pictures of those who died or were arrested in the protests.