"Iran tries to quell massive protest; Police use tear gas, batons against marchers; 1 dead" by Thomas Erdbrink, Washington Post / February 15, 2011
TEHRAN — Tens of thousands of demonstrators battled security forces armed with tear gas and batons during a surprisingly large antigovernment protest in the Iranian capital yesterday that drew inspiration from the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. At least one person was killed in the clash.
Dodging clouds of tear gas fired by police and pro-government militiamen, the protesters marched down a central boulevard and shouted slogans such as “death to the dictator,’’ “we are all together,’’ and “down with Taliban, in Cairo and Tehran.’’
What an ODD THING to be SHOUTING in SHI'ITE IRAN -- considering they almost went to war with the "extremist" SUNNI Taliban in the 1990s and that EGYPT'S REVOLUTION has been SECULAR and ACROSS ALL FAITHS.
Maybe they are trying to draw a parallel the "extremes" to Shi'ites; however, Iran is the most politically-open and tolerant society in the region (compared to the U.S. thugs under pressure from protests)!
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The government seemed to have been taken by surprise by the large numbers of protesters.
They ALWAYS ARE!
Security forces shot dozens of tear gas grenades at demonstrators who at times attacked members of the pro-government paramilitary Basij forces.
Police, who seemed to be mobilized in smaller numbers than usual, tried to disperse the protesters using batons and tear gas....
In the afternoon, as the crowds grew, the police were seen retreating in some areas. By evening, the protesters seemed ready to disperse. Internet service had been disrupted in Tehran, so it was difficult to ascertain the next steps for organizers, who had relied on websites and social media to launch the rally....
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"Iranian lawmakers urge death sentences for opposition leaders; Ahmadinejad says protests are certain to fail" by Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times / February 16, 2011
NEW YORK — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran yesterday dismissed opposition attempts to revive antigovernment street protests as certain to fail, while members of the Iranian Parliament clamored for the two most prominent leaders of the protest movement to be hanged.
Ahmadinejad’s statements, reported by Agence France-Presse, came a day after tens of thousands poured onto the streets across Iran despite a heavy police presence, in the largest antigovernment protests in more than a year.
That's not what the WaPo piece from yesterday said.
The government yesterday continued to try to squelch reports about the protests, arresting or sequestering critics and revoking the working credentials of about a dozen foreign correspondents who the day before had been ordered not to report.
So the reporter has a bit of grudge, right?
Opposition supporters were elated about the demonstrations on Monday, saying they felt people’s willingness to come out despite beatings by the police proved the antigovernment Green movement was still alive after 20 months of brutal government suppression.
“The friends I talked to in Iran were so happy that people had shown up after months of nothing going on,’’ said Sadra M. Shahab, who helped spread the word about the demonstrations from overseas.
There were reports that at least two people died in the protests....
The clashes over the protests — ostensibly called to support those in Egypt and Tunisia who brought down their leaders — undercut the Iranian government’s attempts to portray the Arab uprisings as the fulfillment of the 1979 Islamic Revolution....
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Also see: Iranian Inspiration
"Fighting erupts at funeral of student killed in Tehran protests" by Thomas Erdbrink, Washington Post / February 17, 2011
TEHRAN — Skirmishes broke out yesterday at the funeral of a man killed during antigovernment demonstrations, Iranian state television reported, as the state prosecutor declared that opposition leaders would face trial.
Although opposition websites say the two people killed in protests Monday were antigovernment demonstrators, state television said the victims were members of a paramilitary organization and were killed by opposition supporters, as government-backed entities have asserted.
The skirmishes occurred near the College of Fine Arts in Tehran, where one of the victims, Sane Jhaleh, had been a student. Witnesses said that about 500 members of the paramilitary Basij organization gathered there and were joined by other people. Dozens of the college’s students have been arrested, witnesses said, but it was unclear whether they participated in protests.
The progovernment demonstrators called for the death of leaders of the grass-roots opposition movement, Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi. They said the opposition protests Monday were part of a plot organized by the United States and domestic followers to topple Iran’s leaders....
We've done it there before. That's why the Iranians rebelled in 1979.
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"Thousands of government supporters called yesterday for the execution of opposition leaders in response to antigovernment demonstrations earlier in the week. And authorities appeared to tighten restrictions on one of the leaders under house arrest....
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"The International Campaign for Human Right in Iran said large numbers of protesters had turned out on major streets in the capital and four other cities yesterday. It said security forces in Tehran dispersed the crowds with gunfire and tear gas, and one person is believed to have been killed in the capital....
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"German journalists fined and released
TEHRAN — Iran yesterday freed two German journalists arrested four months ago after they interviewed the son of an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. An Iranian court threw out their 20-month prison sentence yesterday, commuting it to a fine of $50,000 each and clearing the way for their release. The Berlin-based tabloid, Bild am Sonntag, said it expected them to leave the country in the coming days, perhaps as early as today (AP)."
