Rival Iran supporters plan rallies in same square

[Turborama]

Source: Reuters

Hardline supporters of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plan a rally on Tuesday at the same Tehran square where backers of defeated election candidate Mirhossein Mousavi say they will gather, an Iranian news agency reported.

The semi-official Fars agency quoted an organisation affiliated to the government as saying that "in protest against the recent agitation and destruction of public property", there would be a rally at Vali-ye Asr Square at 4 p.m. (1130 GMT).

Supporters of Mousavi, who held a mass rally on Monday in support of his bid to have the result of Friday's election cancelled, said earlier they would hold a new gathering on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Vali-ye Asr square.

Read more: http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-40364020090616

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Iran braces for rival demos as protests turn deadly

By Farhad Pouladi and Aresu Eqbali

TEHRAN (AFP) — Seven people were killed when a mass protest against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's reelection turned violent, state media said on Tuesday, as the tense nation braced for more rival rallies.

Tyres, dustbins and motorbikes were set ablaze by protestors as hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets on Monday in a public outpouring of anger reminiscent of the days of the Islamic revolution in 1979.

The stage was being set for possible further confrontations on Tuesday as both Ahmadinejad's camp and supporters of his defeated rival Mir Hossein Mousavi were planning rival marches on a Tehran square just two hours apart.

=snip=

Another two prominent reformists, close aides of Ahmadinejad's predecessor Mohammad Khatami, were arrested from their homes on Tuesday, their aides said.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gwK_EuNzTIprZY2jflxyVN5G8PYQ

looks like things are heating up even more...

[EFerrari]

1. There seem to have been more arrests today:

snip

More arrests

Meanwhile Iranian state television said the "main agents" in post-election unrest were arrested with explosives and guns.

Iran's English-language Press TV reported the arrests in a breaking news headline, but gave no of how many people had been arrested or when.

But the Fars new agency, quoting Iran's Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie, said security forces had arrested 26 "masterminds" suspected to be involved in post-election unrest sweeping Tehran, in addition to a wave of initial arrests of 170 people reported on Sunday.

Saeed Hajjarian and Mohammad Ali Abtahi, close aides of former reformist president Mohammad Khatami, were also arrested at their homes before dawn, their aides said.

snip

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/06/16/76112.html

[dipsydoodle]

2. All foreign media coverage has now been banned

buried in here : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8102400.stm and now posted as LBN on the BBC ticker.

Foreign media have been banned from covering the protest and other "unauthorised events". It was due to have taken place in Tehran's Vali Asr Square at the same time as a demonstration there by supporters or President Ahmadinejad.

Watch for Beeb update - may get its own page.

[Turborama]

3. I've been watching that on the BBC site too

It's taking ages to get its own page...

[dipsydoodle]

4. It may never do so

This issue actually came up yesterday. Was the reason that Tim Marshall of Sky refused to be drawn as to his opinion. He mentioned that a number of foreign correspondents have already left because their visas were not renewed.

The issue over there isn't infact whether a statement is postive or negative - simply that it is based on fact.

[EFerrari]

5. I noticed the Al Arabiya report was odd yesterday.

It said the protest had been cancelled but that a few supporters had gathered anyway in different locations. :wtf:

It also showed a few feet of protesters at the French and British embassies, protesting "interference" in Iran's internal affairs.

[dipsydoodle]

6. The facts , just the facts.

My name's Friday - I'm a cop. :rofl:

You are probably not old enough to remember the origin of that ! It was Dragnet on TV in the fifties.

[EFerrari]

7. Wasn't Fred Mertz his partner? No -- Col. Potter was his partner.

:)

[dipsydoodle]

8. I can only remember

those immortal words of Joe Friday. :)

[EFerrari]

9. A Time correspondent in Tehran is telling Amy that the idea was

for the government to swell the ranks of their supporters by using the presence of opposition supporters in the same location. She says the Mousavi supporters have been told to stay away but that there is a lot of confusion.

[Javaman]

10. so would these be the Iranian equivalent of the "teabaggers"?

The truth will be learned in the turn out numbers.

Some how I don't think they will equal the 1+ million people who have been protesting so far.