04 November 2009 - 08H19  

Police fire teargas at opposition protest in Tehran
File picture shows riot police in Tehran. Iranian police fired teargas during clashes with opposition supporters trying to stage a demonstration in central Tehran on Wednesday and made several arrests, witnesses said
File picture shows riot police in Tehran. Iranian police fired teargas during clashes with opposition supporters trying to stage a demonstration in central Tehran on Wednesday and made several arrests, witnesses said

AFP - Iranian police fired teargas during clashes with opposition supporters trying to stage a demonstration in central Tehran on Wednesday and made several arrests, witnesses said.

The clashes took place in central Tehran's Haft-e-Tir square where groups of opposition supporters had gathered for a protest, even as thousands of Iranians were staging an anti-American rally outside the closed US embassy to mark the 30th anniversary of the storming of the compound by Islamist students.

Witnesses said police beat the opposition supporters in a bid to break up the rally but the crowd of several hundred refused to move.

Opposition supporters have since June been staging protests in Tehran against the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a presidential they claim was massively rigged.

Protesters on Wednesday chanted "Death to the dictator" while a pro-government group which had also gathered at the square chanted "Death to America."

The June 12 re-election of Ahmadinejad triggered the worst political crisis in the 30-year history of the Islamic republic.

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