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Mullahs resort to brutal crackdown to thwart spread of Tehran demonstration

Mullahs resort to brutal crackdown to thwart spread of Tehran demonstrationTehran demonstration – statement no. 2

Fearing the spread of yesterday’s antigovernment demonstration in Tehran, the clerical regime deployed thousands of suppressive forces, including the State Security Forces (SSF), plainclothes officers and Intelligence Ministry agents, to crack down brutally on the protesters, particularly women and youths. The protest, which began at 5:00 pm, quickly swelled to several thousand protesters as many people and young men join it. The protest was in support of Mojahedin and other dissident political prisoners. A large number of these prisoners have been on a hunger strike for several weeks.
At outset of the protest, more than 1,500 suppressive forces, equipped with batons and tear gas spray and canisters, charged the crowd and began beating and assaulting them violently.
Despite the harsh crackdown, the protesters continued chanting “Death to dictatorship,” “Freedom, freedom,” “Free all political prisoners,” “Guns, tanks, Bassijis are no longer effective,” “We don’t want the rule of force, mercenary police,” and clashed with the security forces and beat up a number of them. In some areas, including Farvardin Street, young people set tires ablaze and set up barricades to stop the agents’ attacks.
Around 7:00 pm, the clerical regime dispatched hundreds of special anti-riot units that rode on motorcycles to Enghelab Square and Street, the main area of the clashes, which also continued in Kargar, 16th of Azar, Brown, Farvardin and Fakhr-e Razi streets until 8:30 pm. Hundred of people were injured or beaten up and hundreds more were detained and taken to unknown locations.
An SSF commander, Col. Mahmoud Jafar-Nassab, who was quite irate and terrified that some protesters had “raised the portraits of Rajavi,” was telling his subordinates to quickly tear away the posters. An SSF sergeant who refused to attack young girls and elderly women was chastised and detained on the scene by his commander.
In a message to Mojahed and other dissident prisoners, as well the young people in Tehran, Iranian Resistance’s President-elect Maryam Rajavi hailed them for breaking the atmosphere and intimidation and countering the repressive measures put in place by the mullahs. “No power can impede the Iranian people’s resistance for democracy and popular sovereignty and halt the desire among young Iranians for a new society and democratic change,” she said.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
July 13, 2005