Tehran: The Iranian government warned people
against further protests today after two days of
demonstrations sparked by anger over an array of economic
problems.
"We urge all those who receive these calls to protest not
to participate in these illegal gatherings as they will create
problems for themselves and other citizens," said Interior
Minister Abdolrahman Rahmani Fazli.
State news channel IRINN said it had been banned from
covering the protests that spread from second city Mashhad on
Thursday to hit several towns and cities.
The protests initially targeted economic problems, but
quickly turned against the Islamic regime as a whole.
US President Donald Trump warned "the world is watching"
after dozens of demonstrators were arrested.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi
dismissed Trump's comments as "irrelevant" and
"opportunistic".
Media coverage inside Iran focused almost exclusively on
pro-regime rallies held on Saturday to mark the defeat of the
last major protest movement in 2009, which hardliners call
"the sedition".
The timing was coincidental, since the rallies are held
every year on this day, but offered a handy show of strength
to the regime as huge crowds of black-clad supporters gathered
across the country.
"The enemy wants once again to create a new plot and use
social media and economic issues to foment a new sedition,"
Ayatollah Mohsen Araki told a crowd in Tehran, according to
the conservative Fars news agency.
Video footage on social media showed hundreds marching
through the holy city of Qom on Friday evening, with people
chanting "Death to the dictator" and "Free political
prisoners".
There were even chants in favour of the monarchy toppled
by the Islamic revolution of 1979, while others criticised the
regime for supporting the Palestinians and other regional
movements rather than focusing on problems at home.
Footage showed thousands gathered in the cities of Rasht,
Hamedan, Kermanshah, Qazvin and elsewhere, with police
responding with water cannons.
Officials were quick to blame outside forces for the
unrest.
"Although people have a right to protest, protesters must
know how they are being directed," Massoumeh Ebtekar, vice
president in charge of women's affairs, wrote on Twitter.
She posted images from Twitter accounts based in the
United States and Saudi Arabia, voicing support for the
Mashhad protests.
Nonetheless, officials warned against dismissing the
public anger seen in recent days.
