The Hindu : Many held during rallies in Iran

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 19, 2003

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International

Many held during rallies in Iran

TEHERAN JUNE 18. Hundreds of Iranians demanding more freedom demonstrated for the eighth consecutive day today and scores of protesters were arrested and some injured in rallies in seven cities.

The Unites States backs the protests as a cry for freedom from a people whose government the U.S. officials accuse of being part of an "axis of evil" for allegedly developing nuclear arms, backing terrorism and trying to destabilise post-war Iraq.

Protesters in Teheran, wary of possible actions from hardline Islamic vigilantes, kept to their cars and sounded horns in traffic jams around the city's university — the focus of the unrest.

The official IRNA news agency reported protests in six other cities in which scores were arrested and several injured. But numbers taking part in the demonstrations — among the largest and most violent for four years — appeared to be dwindling.

Iran's Government and most Parliamentary deputies accused the U. S. of blatant interference in Iran's internal affairs. Hardline clerics say they have detected a U.S.-inspired plot to destabilise Iran.

But demonstrators said they were not on the streets for the sake of Washington.

"If coming to the streets will give me more freedom, I don't care who calls for it, I will come here and tell all my friends to come with me," said teenage high school student Amir.

Protesters have expressed anger at the moderate President, Mohammad Khatami, as well as unelected conservative clerics who have blocked his efforts to reform Iran's "Islamic democracy."

IRNA said at least 90 people had been arrested in the past two days in the northwestern city of Tabriz where riot police surrounded the university there.

Reuters

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