Iran Focus: Tehran, Jun. 07 – From the Grapevine… Authorities undertook extra-ordinary measures to prevent any anti-government activity at the scene of Khomeini’s death anniversary in Tehran on Friday.
Iran Focus
Tehran, Jun. 07 – From the Grapevine…
Authorities undertook extra-ordinary measures to prevent any anti-government activity at the scene of Khomeini’s death anniversary in Tehran on Friday.
- No mobile phones with cameras were allowed. Cigarette lighters were also banned.
- The overwhelming majority were members of the para-military Bassij forces among university students, pupils and government offices.
- Every two hours, officials handed out free drinks, cake and sandwiches in buses on the way to and from Tehran. The food was terrible. They served rice and raisons for dinner on the way to Tehran. Breakfast consisted of cheese and bread. Lunch was served at the scene. Tuna fish was the dinner on the way back.
- There were plenty of free drinks and cookies.
- There was a heavy security presence, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was responsible for overall security at Khomeini’s mausoleum. There were very few members of the State Security Force (regular police) on duty. There were also many female IRGC officers. Plain-clothes agents were all over the place to ensure that nothing would get out of control.
- Everyone went through a thorough body search upon arrival.
- Toilets were dysfunctional and quite dirty. At times, people had to stand in line for half an hour.
- Those who had come from cities treated the event like a picnic, mostly walking around and attending their own work or relaxing under the sun.
