Despite a ban, the demonstrations staged a rally to mark the first anti-government protests in Tehran since February 11, last year. In the same month last year activists took to the streets on the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution. Mobile phone services were cut and there were power blackouts in areas where the protests were taking place,witnesses said.
But, lawmakers today demanded opposition leaders be hanged following violent anti-government protests in Tehran which left one person killed. The leaders are reported to be backed by Iran’s arch-foes.
Meanwhile, Iran has criticized U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s remarks on protests in Iran yesterday. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said that regional developments have made the U.S. officials confused these days. Iranian lawmakers said that the United States, Britain and Israel had orchestrated Mondays protests using the opposition leaders.
While, thousands of Yemeni opposition activists have rallied in the capital, Sana’a, in a fifth day of protests demanding political reforms and the ouster of longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Yemeni police used batons to try to disperse about 3,000 protesters, mostly students, who marched from Sana’a University toward the city center today. Some of the activists responded by throwing stones.
Three protesters were injured. The protesters chanted anti-Saleh slogans similar to those used in uprisings that forced authoritarian leaders in Egypt and Tunisia to step down in recent weeks.
A group of pro-Saleh demonstrators also gathered in Sana’a to try to confront the anti-government protesters. The two sides have engaged in street battles in recent days. Yesterday, at least 1,000 anti-government activists marched in the capital.