Thaindian News

Tehran, Feb 11 (IANS/AKI) Tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets to mark the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution Thursday.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attacked western powers in an address to the rally that was aired live on Iranian television.

State television showed live footage of crowds holding Iranian flags and pictures of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as they made their way to Azadi Square in central Tehran.

Opposition leaders also called for a huge turnout of their supporters, and there were unconfirmed reports of demonstrations in Tehran and Tabriz.

“We are closely watching the sedition movement, and several people preparing to disrupt the rallies were arrested,” said police chief Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam.

Meanwhile, reports from the micro-blogging site Twitter and the pro-opposition Jaras website said Karroubi’s supporters were gathering in the city.

But Karroubi’s son was quoted as saying his bodyguards had been attacked and he had decided to return home.

One site claimed that the reformist leader Mehdi Karroubi had been injured on the head.

“Karoubi was attacked by security forces in the centre of Tehran, they broke the windscreen of his car,” said the site Jaras.

“Karoubi has not been injured very seriously.”

Other opposition sources reported security forces had fired shots and teargas at supporters of Mir-Hossein Moussavi, Ahmadinejad’s main rival in last June’s elections.

Anti-government websites have urged marchers to display green emblems or clothes - the colour adopted by the opposition movement after the disputed presidential election June 12 last year.

–IANS/AKI

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