They Beat Me Violently as People Looked On

Seven days after Sane Jhaleh and Mohammad Mokhtari were killed on the streets of Tehran, people in various cities of Iran demonstrated to honor and commemorate them the two. But their anger was larger than just for the two deaths, they showed their anger and rejection of the regime by chanting Death to the Dictator and calling for the removal of the regime’s leader seyed Ali Khamenei.

The protestors to the announced 2009 presidential election results poured into the streets of Tehran on Sunday as the city looked like a military base. Based on reports sent by Rooz correspondents and eye witnesses in the capital, members of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Special Guards, Basiji militia, and plain-clothes agents were positioned with military gear across the city and took steps to prevent the formation of groups by protestors.

Two video clips from Tehran that were published on the Internet showed the plain-clothes agents in various parts of the city.

But despite this massive military presence and the several suspicious text messages announcing the cancellation of the planned protests that cell-phone owners received, people poured into the streets to demonstrate their support for the leaders of the Green Movement who are now under complete house arrest and at the same time honor the death of two protestors who were killed the week before. The text messages that announced the cancellation of the demonstration were signed by the “Coordinating Council of the Green Path of Hope” but were soon declared fake by Ardeshir Amir Arjomand, Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s advisor.

Clashes with Military Forces

Numerous clashes were reported during Sunday’s demonstrations, as reported by Rooz reporters from Tehran.

One eye witness described what he saw in these words: “I was on the Parkway expressway around 4pm. Basiji militiamen armed with metal batons were on the sidewalks and motorbiked agents patrolled the streets. People, many on their way to Vanak circle towards the northern part of Tehran, were regularly confronted by the Basij and plain-clothes agents with an attempt to disperse any congregations and were pushed into the side lanes. But people would reconvene immediately and continue towards their destination.”

“I had to stop as I approached the ministry of labor’s country club where metal railings delineate the state-run national radio and television station (IRIB) from the street. The streets and sidewalks were blocked suggesting that the security forces were afraid of people from moving in that direct. But they could not stop the crowds or disperse them. People in the meantime chanted hymns calling for the ouster of ayatollah Khamenei. Men from the Special Guards stood on both sides of the IRIB railing, blocking any access to the station’s grounds. Then suddenly the plain-clothes agents attacked the demonstrators and fired tear gas into the crowds. I saw a number of people arrested right then,” he continued.

According to this witness, security forces also used pepper spray mace to disperse the demonstrators. “Protestors were violently beaten up across the Young Journalists Club with metal batons. Men and women were beaten. Images of Palestinians being beaten by Israelis came to my mind. But these were worse. I began to cry. A really bad scene but people were not fleeing and tried to find ways to continue their march.”

Another eye witness in the Mirdamad district of northern Tehran told Rooz that agents were filming people from the Khaje Nasir University. “When we saw them filming the demonstrators, we began chanting hymns in support of Mousavi, and denouncing Mubarak, Ben Ali and seyed Ali [Khamenei]. Then the firing shots were heard with a very nasty odor that smelled like rotten fish. I don’t know what the smell was. I then noticed people running towards us from the upper part of Vanak and then began shouting that someone had been killed. I don’t know what the story was but could not ask anyone either as everybody was being beaten. Many were arrested. I managed to break away and return home. “

Tehran’s main avenue, the north-south running Vali Asr, was packed with military forces. Mehdi Karoubi’s advisor Mojtaba Vahedi had announced earlier this street to be the path for the protesting march. But according to Rooz reporters many other main thoroughfares in Tehran were packed with security-military men, which included Sadeghie, Engelab Circle, Azadi Circle, Tehran Pars, Haft Howz circle and Haft Tir square.

Some websites wrote that one person had been shot at Haft Tir square. A witness told Rooz, “We were on Nejatolahi avenue when we heard the sound of fire shots. People coming from the direction of circle that one person had been shot killed, but nobody knew what happened to him then. “

Speaking with semi-state run Fars news agency, the caretaker of Tehran Province’s security division Safar-Ali Baratloo denied that anyone had been shot.

People who came to the streets on Sunday and called out for the ouster of the leader of the Islamic regime were from all walks of life, according to witnesses.  A reporter calling in from Tehran said, “despite the massive security presence, it was interesting for me to see people keep their cool demonstrating that they knew exactly what they were doing. They were very calm.” He added that he saw a judge among the protestors who showed him his identity card and told others around him that they were in this together. “I also saw a military colonel and two Revolutionary Guardsmen, one of whom I knew as I had seen him in my uncle’s office. When I asked him what he was doing there he said he had come with a friend.”

Faeze Hashemi’ Detained

Other news reports indicated that Hashemi Rafsanjany’s daughter, a well-known activist and pro-reform personality was arrested and then released. A witness said that she was arrested on Vali Asr avenue before reaching Motahari avenue by 20 to 30 plain-clothes agents. “They were very violent and quickly whisked Ms Hashemi into a van as they yelled that she was the leader of the Monafeghin and directed the riots.” Monafeghin is a term Iranian officials use for the Mojahedin Khalq group in Iraq.

Iranian government news agency IRNA published photos of Ms Hashemi inside the van and claimed that she was arrested as she was leading the public, chanting slogans and inciting the public.

Rooz reporters Revolutionary Guardsmen were stationed in the alleys to get into action against the crowds as a surprise and also to prevent people from getting into the side streets. Militiamen on motorbikes patrolled the streets and some carried flags while chanting hymns in favor of Hizbullah. All the main streets were patrolled by the Special Forces.

Other reports indicate similar clashes and formations in other major cities of Iran such as Isfahan.