Protesters, security clash again in Iran

TEHRAN, Iran — Violent clashes erupted Thursday in downtown Tehran between thousands of defiant protesters chanting "Death to the dictator" and security forces wielding truncheons, as the political crisis over Iran's disputed presidential election stretched into its fourth week.

Large contingents of uniformed and plainclothes security forces flooded the city's central squares and managed with batons and tear gas to eventually disperse demonstrators, many of whom wore black and held up their fingers in "V" for victory salutes.

Protesters in and around Enqelab (Revolution) Square set fire to trash bins to ward off the effects of gas, witnesses said, but by and large avoided engaging the security forces in the rock-throwing and running street battles that characterized protests several weeks ago.

There were reports of clashes in other Iranian cities, but they could not be confirmed.

Demonstrators said they were determined to defy authorities, led by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who have demanded an end to public rallies and acts of civil disobedience.

Tracts distributed online and handed out called on protesters to borrow nonviolent tactics used in the American civil-rights movement, avoid internal rifts in their ranks and take no action that would hamper morale.

Protesters chanted in support of Mir Hossein Mousavi, who was defeated by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a disputed election last month and urged the security forces to join them.

"Mojtaba, may you die, so that you don't get the supreme leadership," went one chant, referring to Khamenei's son, who is said to be behind the crackdown on dissent and angling for his father's position.

Though the numbers of protesters did not nearly match the hundreds of thousands who flooded the streets for peaceful demonstrations following the June 12 election, organizers showed Thursday that they could quickly gather a crowd despite the efforts of security forces.

The day, the 10-year anniversary of a student uprising violently crushed by the government, is a perennial occasion for confrontations between demonstrators and police.

Many of the demonstrators wore surgical masks to protect their identities from cameras stationed at adjacent buildings. They could be seen escaping into side streets and regrouping as shops quickly were shuttered.

Some witnesses said pro-government Basiji militiamen could also be seen wearing masks to hide their faces from protesters' cameras.

Passing drivers and motorcyclists honked their horns and flashed the victory sign in support of the clumps of demonstrators. Business owners could be seen hustling protesters into their buildings to shield them from police.

One witness described at least 10,000 demonstrators gathered in one spot alone, but there was no independent confirmation.

Police managed to quell demonstrators within three hours, witnesses said.