Iran Focus: Tehran, Jun. 17 For the second time in this evening and despite forceful government reaction crowds have gathered in squares across the Iranian capital Tehran, demonstrating against todays presidential elections and setting on fire a vehicle belonging to Irans State Security Forces. Iran Focus
Tehran, Jun. 17 For the second time in this evening and despite forceful government reaction crowds have gathered in squares across the Iranian capital Tehran, demonstrating against todays presidential elections and setting on fire a vehicle belonging to Irans State Security Forces.
A large crowd is presently at Vali-e Asr Square while a growing crowd have gathered at Monirieh square and are denouncing todays elections as a farce.
Protests against the polls are also taking place in Tehrans Fatemi Street, Mellat Park and Laleh Park.
Security in the capital is tight at present. At least five people have so far been arrested this evening and many more were injured during clashes with the security forces. An SSF vehicle was also set alight by protesters.
Earlier this afternoon, two large demonstrations simultaneously erupted in Golha (Flowers) Square, southeast Tehran, and Vali-e Asr Square on the intersection of Palestine Street, lasting for some two hours, with protestors urging fellow Iranians to boycott the polls.
Protestors chanted long live freedom, the cry of every Iranian is freedom, we reject dictatorship, boycott the elections, and the regime will be overthrown.
In Vali-Asr Square groups of demonstrators were chanting the cry of every Iranian is freedom, Maryam [Rajavi”> is our leader, referring to the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the regimes principal opposition coalition.
In earlier demonstrations, protesters were seen carrying large photographs of Maryam Rajavi, who had called for a nationwide boycott of the Presidential elections in Iran three months ago.
Irans dreaded State Security Forces opened fire on the protesters to disperse the crowd. At one point, the crowd charged back and clashed with the SSF.
Eye-witnesses reported that polling stations in the vicinity of the protests were shut down by authorities.
Internet cafes were also shut down in the capital and other major cities such as Isfahan (central Iran) in an apparent effort to prevent the spread of election news by ordinary Iranians.
A number of students taking part in the demonstration stated that authorities had warned them that if their identity cards did not carry an election stamp, they would not be allowed to take part in university entrance exams.
