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The Raw StoryIran's opposition vowed to defy an order by the supreme leader to halt street protests over last week's election as US President Barack Obama said the world was watching.
An aide to defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi told AFP the rally will be held in Tehran at 4:00 pm (1130 GMT).The rally comes as Karroubi and the two other defeated candidates, former premier Mir Hossein Mousavi and ex-Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezai, meet officials to discuss alleged electoral violations.
After supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday banned marches and warned that candidates would be held responsible for any violence, Tehran authorities denied permission for the march, organised by Karroubi's campaign and a reformist group, Combattant Clerics Assembly.
Late on Friday, witnesses reported that many members of the hardline Basij militia had deployed in Tehran streets, for the first time in full uniform and helmets, carrying clubs and some of them Kalashnikov rifles.
However, they had withdrawn from their positions on Saturday morning.
In demanding an end to protests, Khamenei warned that otherwise there could be further bloodshed beyond the seven deaths reported by state radio.more:
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Iranian_opposition_to_rally_despite_06202009.html__________________________________________________________________
The line in the sand has been drawn. Will the Supreme Council back down from using the promised violence? Will the protests continue? If the military is called in, and violence results, will it end the protests or will the protesters turn their attention to the Council? It is 4:45pm in Tehran right now.....
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