TEHRAN – Iranian security forces fired warning shots and tear gas in Tehran yesterday to disperse opposition demonstrators seeking to renew their challenge to the government six months after a disputed presidential election.
The security forces fired shots into the air as they clashed with supporters of opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi at a state rally marking the killing of three students under the former Shah, the reformist website Mowjcamp said.
“Security forces are beating demonstrators, men and women. Some of them are injured and bleeding,” said one witness in Tehran’s central Haft-e Tir square.
The June 12th presidential election, which secured President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election, sparked Iran’s worst unrest since the Islamic revolution three decades ago and exposed deep divisions in the establishment. Authorities deny allegations of vote-rigging.
Journalists working for foreign media were told by officials not to leave their offices to cover stories from Monday until Wednesday, but witnesses told Reuters that police clashed with protesters in Tehran squares to disperse them.
“I saw at least 10 people being arrested and taken to minibuses,” said one witness, while another said police fired teargas at demonstrators in Vali-ye Asr Square.
Authorities shut down the mobile phone network in central Tehran to stop opposition protesters from contacting each other, the reformist website Rah-e Sabz said.
“Security forces shot into the air to disperse demonstrators in the Enqelab square . . . still there are sporadic clashes between police and protesters,” the Mowjcamp website said.
Security measures taken by the authorities on “Student Day” displayed their determination to uproot the opposition movement, which Mr Mousavi said on Sunday would continue despite pressure.
The official IRNA news agency confirmed the clashes, calling protesters “rioters”.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and their Basij militia allies had warned the opposition not to use the rally to revive protests against the clerical establishment that took place after the June vote.
Riot police surrounded Tehran University, where the main state rally was held, to try to prevent opposition protests.
“Police have covered metal bars around Tehran University campus with white cloth to prevent passers-by from seeing inside the university,” said a witness.
“There are hundreds of riot police, [they are] everywhere around Tehran University and nearby streets,” said another.
University students, who form a core of the opposition movement in Iran, urged people to join them. Reformist websites said anti-government protests were held inside at least three other universities.
The moderate Amirkabir website said police had stopped students leaving the university to join protests in other universities. “Students are chanting ‘Mirhossein, we support you’.” – (Reuters)