December 29, 2009

Source:

The Tasua and Ashura commemorations in Tehran and Isfahan turned violent on Sunday.  In the most controversial attack, plain-clothes agents attacked ayatollah Khomeini’s house in Jamaran chanting slogans in support of ayatollah Khamenei, breaking windows and beating people who were attending a mourning event there.

Khatami Attacked with a Brick

On Saturday, former Iranian president seyed Mohammad Khatami’s speech at the mosque affiliated with the revolutionary founder ayatollah Khomeini was left unfinished after it was attacked by security forces and plain clothes agents.

A Rooz correspondent present inside the mosque reported that at the beginning of the former Iranian president’s speech, plain-clothes agents attempted to disrupt the event by chanting “death to anti-Velayat Faghih [rule of the religious leader]” but did not succeed.  About twenty minutes into seyyed Mohammad Khatami’s speech, he said, “Imam Hussein’s uprising was to prevent the deviation of religion.  He wanted to confront those who rule in the name of religion…”  This remark by Khatami was applauded by people but suddenly plain clothes agents present inside the Husseiniyyeh attacked the speaker’s podium and even threw a brick at the speaker, which led to the eruption of clashes as Khatami’s bodyguards took him out of the building.

According to this report, plain-clothes agents, numbering around one hundred, began beating people and confiscated cell phones that could record videos.  They had formed a pathway towards the exit, stood on both sides and beat people savagely with batons and chains.

Iran’s Parleman News website, which belongs to the minority faction in the Majlis, described the attack by plain-clothes agents as completely resembling that of the army of Yazid (a caliph who ordered the killing of the third Shiite Imam, Hussein).

People Threatened Before Speech

One eyewitness told Rooz that before Khatami’s speech had begun plain-clothes agents appeared inside the mosque and threatened people, asking them to leave the mosque.  They specifically asked people to leave, telling them that clashes were going to erupt there. People however did not pay attention and instead welcomed Khatami.

Clashes inside the Jamaran mosque took place while thousands of people had gathered behind the mosque’s closed doors, which also prevented security forces from getting inside.  A Rooz reporter reported: “I can’t estimate the number of people but it was over ten thousand and growing by the minute.  People wanted to put speakers to hear the sound inside and hear Khatami’s speech, but the agents didn’t allow that.  People were calm and weren’t chanting hard slogans, but suddenly special forces accompanied by plan clothes agents attacked the people and beat them heavily with batons and chains and sticks.  Then they fired tear gas and it was then when people’s slogans became harder and people were chanting ‘this is the month of blood, Khamenei will be overthrown’ and ‘rape, murder, death to this leadership.’”

Widespread Clashes in Northern Tehran

According to incoming reports, clashes continued in the three northern Tehran squares (Jamaran, Niavaran and Tajrish) as special government forces and the police attacked people very violently.  The Rooz correspondent reported that there was continued firing of tear gas, pepper spray and air shots.  In response, people set trash cans on fire to neutralize the tear gas.  According to several eyewitnesses, special forces agents attacked several cars and damages them heavily with batons.

A large number of people were injured with broken skulls, arms and legs, and were transferred to hospitals.  An unknown number of people were also arrested, but there is no news about their fate.