Iranian protesters gathered in decentralized gatherings today in Tehran and other major cities calling for the release of the opposition leaders, Mousavi and Karroubi.
Kaleme website reports that anti-riot police attacked protesters who had rallied at several points in Tehran. The police reportedly used batons, electric shock guns and tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Kaleme also reports that gun shots have been heard around Enghelab Sqaure and the vicinity.
Protesters have been chanting “Death to the Dictator!” and calling for the release of MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi whose fates remain unclear since they were put under house arrest for calling the February 14 rally.
An eyewitness report indicates that Tehran has been turned into a military base by the sheer number of security forces deployed in the city.
Similar rallies in Shiraz, Mashhad and Esfahan have also been reported by opposition websites.
Opposition websites also report the arrest of tens of protesters and heavy deployment of security and Basij forces in all major cities.
On February 14, the Islamic Republic government which had praised the popular uprising in Tunisia and Egypt, cracked down hard on Iranian protesters who were called by Mousavi and Karroubi to rally in support of the Arab uprisings. Tens of thousands of protesters participated in the rally and two people were killed during the protests.
International media are completely banned from covering the recent protests so news of opposition activities in the streets has been only trickling through the opposition networks and eyewitness reports.
The fates of the two opposition leaders and their wives remain unclear as opposition websites maintain that they have been taken to prison while the government insists that they are still in their homes but strictly forbidden from any outside contact.
