Iranian Police Fire Tear Gas at Protesters
Riot police backed by helicopters broke up a demonstration of 1,000 people in Tehran on Monday, as hard-liners in the Iranian government lost patience on the fifth day of pro-democracy protests.
Police fired shots in the air and tear gas, and arrested several protesters at Tehran University, witnesses said.
“The night sky was white with tear gas,” said one TV cameraman.
Demonstrators in Tehran set a police vehicle on fire and hurled stones at officers as helicopters hovered overhead to direct the police response, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said. No injuries were reported.
The crackdown came after government warnings Sunday that unauthorized demonstrations would not be tolerated. The protests, which began Thursday, have shown the widening gulf between backers of moderate President Mohammad Khatami, and the hard-liners in government who oppose him.
The protests swelled after police stormed a university hostel Friday in response to a small protest the night before over a ban on a newspaper. The attack was apparently carried out with the backing of government hard-liners.
One person was killed and 20 injured in the assault.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
