Iranian police fire in air to disperse protesters

[undeterred]

Source: Reuters

By Parisa Hafezi

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Riot police fired in the air to disperse pro-reform demonstrators in central Tehran on Thursday, nearly four weeks after a disputed election triggered mass protests across Iran, a witness said.

Police detained several people among hundreds of protesters who turned up near Tehran University in defiance of a ban on gatherings for the anniversary of violent student demonstrations in 1999, the witness told Reuters. Another witness said police also used tear gas.

It appeared to be the worst outbreak of unrest in Tehran since security forces last month quelled days of opposition protests over the June 12 election, which moderate opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad say was rigged in his favor.

Even though Thursday's rally was a far cry from those that erupted after the vote, it was a sign of continuing discontent among at least some opposition supporters, who took part in the demonstration despite a heavy presence by the security forces. "Police are shooting in the air and they have arrested several people," the first witness said.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5684GS20090709

[MADem]

1. There's no more room in Evin Prison. This isn't going to stop.

It took many, many months before Shah left. Martial law began in most cities in the summer before he got on the plane the following February. Protests and violence flared up, subsided flared up again....

This isn't over. It has barely begun.

[undeterred]

2. Protesters, officers clash violently in Iran's streets

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-protest10-2009jul10,0,622206.story

Protesters rally in the streets of Tehran. Iranian security forces fired tear gas as demonstrators staged a march to protest the June 12 election and to commemorate the anniversary of bloody student unrest in 1999, witnesses said.

[prostomulgus]

3. Have to come down on the Iranian Govt's side here

You know that these protesters are funded/organized by the CIA who is, in turn, hoping to destabilize the Iranian govt. so as to clear the way for Big Oil to come in and start pumping profits out.

The people who are being organized think that they are dying in the streets to advance democracy when, in reality, they are simply being pawns of multinational corporate greed.

Hopefully, the people will turn against this CIA-plot.

[SkyDaddy7]

4. WOW?

I think you really hope that is true, huh? It simply can't be that the Iranian People have been wronged so many times that this was the final straw? I think what you said is an insult to all those I have talked to from Iran and what the brave people are doing! The CIA is not good enough to cause what is going on in Iran today. If so, all that money Bush was pouring into destabilizing Iran would have worked long ago! The CIA is not behind every unrest in the world.

You should watch this discussion with Hooman Majd and the foreign editor of Newsweek Nisid Hajari just days before the election in Iran...It will set the mood as to why everyone is so pissed! It has nothing to do with the CIA!

How could you agree with a governement that shoots its own citizens and executes them, 39 in a week at last count, for protesting?

The leaps some here on DU will go to just to blame the CIA...I do not like the CIA's history but too far is too far!

Watch this:
http://fora.tv/2009/06/02/The_Persian_Paradox_Understanding_Iran_and_Iranians#fullprogram

There are plenty other reasons that clearly tell the tell...CIA NOT!!!

[prostomulgus]

7. Let's not be naive here

The MO for the CIA is to exploit, foment and exacerbate conflict, especially between a government and its people. This is particularly true when big multinational corporations start seeing $ signs.

It would be naive to believe that the CIA is not working HARD in Iran right now.

[Javaman]

8. uh huh, right, this is the culmination of 29 years of hard work.

:eyes:

[Javaman]

5. The ignorance is strong in this one. nt

[alfredo]

6. Austin Heap fans

RT @austinheap: Just tested Haystack in #Iran ... IT WORKS LIKE A CHARM :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D #iranelection


http://blog.austinheap.com/