Crowd Attacks West German Embassy in Iran

At least 100 Iranians attacked the West German Embassy in Tehran today, and Foreign Ministry officials in the German capital said guards used tear gas to drive back demonstrators who climbed the gates into the compound.

The demonstrators were protesting the closing of Iran’s exhibit at the Frankfurt Book Fair last week after fistfights between supporters and opponents of Iran’s revolutionary leader, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

The demonstrators shouted “Revenge for Frankfurt” as they attacked the embassy compound today with iron bars and saws, ministry spokesman Hans Schumacher said.

Ministry officials reported that some of the protesters climbed over a gate onto embassy grounds and that embassy guards used tear gas to drive them back.

No One Hurt

“No one was hurt, there was no harm done,” Schumacher said.

Once inside, they prayed and shouted slogans against the West German government, then left without further incidents.

Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency said the protesters numbered about 300 and were Tehran University students belonging to the fundamentalist Hezbollahi, or Party of God.

Schumacher said the charge d’affaires at the embassy, Ruprect Henatsch, protested to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, which “distanced itself” from the incident and promised an investigation.