3 août 2009

Protests and severe conflict in different parts of Tehran

shooresh1917.blogspot.com

3 août 2009

• News coming from Vali-e Asr street and central & north Tehran: despite of large group of militia and semi-militia forces presence in mentioned area which has made kind of « Curfew »,there is some clashes between group of protesters and present forces specially conflicts around Vanak Sq reportedly are so severe.
• According to our journalist’s reports from Tehran city,today in dozens points of Tehran including main squares and high traffic intersections specially in the area of Vali-e Asr intersection and Vali-e Asr Sq to Fatemi sq and from the end of Abbas Abad Street to Vanak sq , anti-riot police forces along with Basij and plain-clothes forces can be seen every where that some eye witnesses even reported number of them in some cases are more than 20 June.
• Also witnesses have informed us of several police and anti-riot automobiles and dozens of plain-clothes forces in front of Ministry of Interior in Fatemi street and in front of IRIB in Vali-e Asr street.Official reports also have reported of Mehdi Karoubi’s presence in protesters gathering at the end of Abbas Abad street and intersection of Vali-e Asr.
• Available reports collection indicates , since 5pm about 2 thousands people have gathered in Vanak sq and in silence .They don’t chant any slogans.The large number of militia and semi-militia forces prevented people to do more than walking till 7 pm when the population had reached about 5 thousands.Basij and anti-riot forces attacked people with their batons and pushed people to south of Vali-e Asr street .
• Based on this reports, at this time over thousands of people while were chanting in Vali-e Ast street moved from Vanak square towards south. and it was while group of people had gathered at Vali-e Asr sq , Fateni Sq and around Sa’iee park.But just minutes later Basij cyclists and anti-riot police attacked protesters and beaten up everyone in pedestrian road.
• There are some news available that states on clashes between protesters with police and Basij and both groups throwing stones towards each other.Some reports indicate around Haqani highway and Jahan Koudak intersection are some conflicts.Same reports are coming from Vali-e Asr and Hafez street’s intersection.
• There are some more news about firing tear-gas in Vali-e Asr street around Vanak sq and also burning the plastic garbage bins to neutralize the effect of tear-gas.some anti-riot and Basij forced have been seen while they were moving towards Vanak and Vali-e Asr squares.Around Fatemi sq to the beginning of Motahari street also severe conflicts have been reported.
• News received from Azadi sq : A spontaneous group of people and without any scheduled date have gathered and have moved towards enqelab sq.In some other points from central and south of Tehran including Jomhouri street and Nazi Abad roundabout also has been reported unrest .
• Meanwhile news reaches that between 7 and 9 pm at lots of highways and main intersections such as Parkway, Vali-e Asr intersection , Azadi and Navab intersection , Keshavarz Blvd, Shahid Beheshti St, Haqani, Molla Sadra , Chamran and etc have been a high traffic jam . In lots of high traffic points of Tehran also car horns can be heard which is a symbol of protest .
• Reports also show that women and girls like 1.5 months ago were participated in demonstration and protests in large number and were so active and Leading.

Police Clash With Demonstrators in Tehran

VOA News

03 August 2009

Iranian riot police and opposition supporters clashed in Tehran Monday, hours after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was endorsed as president for a second term.

A correspondent for Iran’s state-run Press TV says riot police used tear gas to disperse about 2,000 demonstrators who gathered between Valiasr and Vanak Squares in the capital.

Iran has barred foreign news organizations from sending reporters to cover opposition protests.

Earlier, Iran’s supreme leader formally endorsed the second-term presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, despite opposition claims of fraud in his re-election.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei approved Mr. Ahmadinejad’s presidency at an official ceremony Monday in Tehran. Several hundred people were present, but there were notable absences including two former presidents, Mohammed Khatami and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Defeated reformist candidates, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, also did not attend the event.

The supreme leader Monday praised the election’s outcome. Mr. Ahmadinejad will be sworn in by parliament on Wednesday.

The president has two weeks from that date to announce his new Cabinet.

After Mr. Ahmadinejad’s first election four years ago, a photograph was circulated of the new president kissing Khamenei’s hand in a show of loyalty. But this year, Iranian media report the supreme leader stepped back when Mr. Ahmadinejad approached in an apparent attempt to kiss his hand Monday. The ayatollah instead allowed the president to kiss his shoulder.

After the June 12 presidential election, Iranian security forces arrested hundreds of activists, politicians and protesters. A mass trial for more than 100 of the detainees began Saturday.

Former President Khatami, who now heads one of the largest reform parties in Iran, said Sunday the mass trial is unconstitutional.

He called the judicial proceedings a « show » trial, and said prosecutors are relying on confessions that were illegally obtained.

30 juillet 2009

Iran police clash with protesters on mourning day

By Jay Deshmukh (AFP) – 30 juillet 2009

TEHRAN — Riot police used tear gas and batons to break up a demonstration in Tehran and clashed with mourners at a defiant graveside commemoration for people killed in election violence, witnesses said.

It was the first major violence between security forces and demonstrators in three weeks in Iran, where tensions are still running high over President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election in June.

Police moved in as crowds massed around a major open-air prayer venue in central Tehran and a major thoroughfare nearby, defying a ban on a planned opposition memorial ceremony, witnesses said.

They used tear gas and batons against thousands of protesters on Vali Asr Street who were shouting « Death to the dictator! », « Free the political prisoners! » and slogans in support of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, they said.

Late into the evening, hundreds of riot police and Islamist vigilantes rode motorcycles around several streets in Tehran, to prevent people from gathering, they added.

Witnesses also reported clashes earlier at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery south of Tehran, where hundreds of police with batons and belts beat some members of an estimated 2,000-strong crowd who hurled stones at security forces.

The US State Department described the use of force as « disturbing » and expressed solidarity with the right of Iranians to demonstrate.

« I think it’s particularly disturbing to see security forces use force to break up a graveside demonstration, » said State Department spokesman Ian Kelly.

Iranians were marking the 40th day since the death of Neda Agha-Soltan, a young woman who came to symbolise the public uprising over Ahmadinejad’s June 12 victory which the opposition says was rigged.

A graphic Internet video of Neda bleeding to death was seen around the world and triggered an outcry over the sometimes brutal crackdown on demonstrators.

Some Iranian hardliners claim Neda’s killing was « staged » to denigrate the regime and they seek to divert the blame from Islamist vigilantes cracking down on protesters.

« Today is a mourning day. Loyal Iranians are the mourners today, » crowds shouted at the cemetery where Neda’s grave was decorated with candles and flowers.

Police arrested several mourners, including prominent film director Jafar Panahi and his family, a witness said.

They also forced Mousavi out of the graveyard minutes after his arrival and although police initially surrounded fellow campaigner Mehdi Karroubi, he was able to give graveside readings from the Koran.

Mousavi and Karroubi stood against Ahmadinejad in the vote and have waged a defiant campaign since his re-election which Mousavi has described as a « shameful fraud. »

The crisis is the worst in the 30-year history of the Islamic republic and created deep rifts among the nation’s ruling elite.

In the latest show of defiance, thousands of people flashing victory signs gathered around Vali Asr street and the Grand Mosalla open-air religious venue.

« Some protesters also set fire to roadside rubbish bins, while anti-riot police on motorbikes rode into the crowds in an attempt to disperse them, » a witness said. « Police also smashed window panes of several cars. »

A motorbike was said to have been set alight and hundreds of motorists sounded their car horns, a protest tactic regularly used by Mousavi supporters.

The foreign press remains banned from covering such demonstrations as part of tough restrictions imposed in the post-election turmoil.

Hundreds of thousands of people had taken to the streets after the election and in the ensuing violence about 30 people were killed, scores wounded and several thousand arrested, Iranian officials say.

The political crisis has also seen Ahmadinejad come under fire even from his own supporters and he has been warned to obey supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei or face the consequences.

In recent days, the authorities have made gestures towards the opposition, including releasing about 140 protesters and promising to free more of the some 250 still behind bars.

One of those arrested, prominent Iranian reformist Saeed Hajjarian, was removed from jail and transfered to a government-owned residential complex despite a judicial order to set him free, a lawmaker said on Thursday.

Twenty « rioters » are due meanwhile to go on trial from Saturday on charges including attacks on government and military offices and contact with « enemies » including exiled opposition group the People’s Mujahedeen.

~ par Alain Bertho sur 4 août 2009.

Publié dans émeutes, riots