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Wednesday 11 June 2003
Tehran street protests
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More than a thousand people have clashed with riot police in Iran in the first major protest against the Islamic regime in more than six months. The demonstrations started after students from Tehran University staged a protest on their dormitory campus against privatisation plans. This report from Miranda Eeles. |
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Witnesses said the protests began with just a few hundred students, but swelled to more than a thousand as people heard the noise or heeded calls to participate from US-based TV channels. For more than four hours the night was filled with bursts of noise as people set off firecrackers or sounded the horns from their cars. Eyewitnesses say, the protest turned violent when riot police turned up. Armed with batons they tried to disperse the demonstration, beating those that stood in their way.
Many believe last night's protest is the first of many demonstrations to commemorate the riots in July 1999. Then students clashed violently with police for three days after a raid on a university dormitory which left at least one person dead. Last Sunday the supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei asked young people to remain calm in the run up to July the 9th in order to prevent what he described was a devilish plot to destabilise the country.
Miranda Eeles, BBC
Listen to the words
swelled
grew larger
heeded
took notice of
participate
take part in
bursts of noise
loud explosions of sound
batons
short, heavy sticks
disperse
break up
commemorate
doing something to show that an event is remembered
dormitory
a large bedroom where several people sleep
a devilish plot
an evil plan
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