Iran Has an Uprising of Its Own
Inspired by demonstrations elsewhere in the Middle East, hundreds of thousands of Iranian protesters stormed the streets of Tehran on Monday, some chanting "Death to the dictator." It's the first major show of people power since opposition leaders accused President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of stealing the 2009 election.
Inspired by demonstrations elsewhere in the Middle East, hundreds of thousands of Iranian protesters stormed the streets of Tehran on Monday, some chanting “Death to the dictator.” It’s the first major show of people power since opposition leaders accused President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of stealing the 2009 election.
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...AP / Huffington Post:
TEHRAN, Iran — Clashes between Iranian police and hundreds of thousands of protesters wracked central Tehran on Monday as security forces beat and fired tear gas at opposition supporters hoping to evoke Egypt’s recent popular uprising.
The opposition called for a demonstration Monday in solidarity with Egypt’s popular revolt that a few days earlier forced the president there to resign after nearly 30 years in office. The rally is the first major show of strength for Iran’s cowed opposition in more than a year.
Police used tear gas against the protesters in central Tehran’s Enghelab, or Revolution, square and in Imam Hossein square, as well as in other nearby main streets. Demonstrators responded by setting garbage bins on fire to protect themselves from the stinging white clouds.
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