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Associated Press, by Nasser Karimi

Huge rally and protests mark Iran revolution

Police clashed with protesters in several sites around Tehran, firing tear gas to disperse them and paintballs to mark them for arrest. Gangs of hard-liners also attacked senior opposition figures as they tried to attend the rallies — including the wife of the head of the reform movement.

NY TIMES:  Arrests by Iran Are a Bid to Quell Wide Protests
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN
Iranian security officials were believed to have arrested as many as 1,000 people in the past two months, a rights group said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/world/middleeast/10arrests.html?th&emc=th

“Censorship, torture, executions – Iranian authorities will stop at nothing to stamp out peaceful dissent and protest.

“Last week, two men were hanged after being accused of inciting the post-June 12 election violence that erupted last summer in Iran. The Iranian government failed to answer one key question – how these men could have been responsible for the violence when they were being held in detention long before it even occurred?

“As if this injustice wasn’t enough, now the lives of 9 more men hang in the balance on similar charges. Amnesty fears some of them may be executed before February 11^th – a date holding much significance in Iran and one that could signify an end to these abuses.

“February 11^th is known as Victory of the Revolution Day – equivalent to the Fourth of July in the United States; it is meant to symbolize liberty, independence and freedom. Authorities in Iran fear that February 11^th will spark a wave of massive protests and unite Iranians in their calls for change and accountability.

“That is why on February 11^th Amnesty International intends to do all it can to stand in solidarity with the Iranian people on this important date.  In the days following the contested Presidential election, Iranian authorities took aggressive measures to stifle dissent and stem the flow of information. No outside reporters were allowed in. Iranians were not allowed to freely report out. Virtually the only way the Iranian people could expose the horrific treatment being inflicted on them was to share their stories online, using blogs and websites like Twitter and Facebook.

“Amnesty expects Iranians will once again rely solely on the Internet to carry their messages during next week’s expected demonstrations. That is why they are asking everyone to show their solidarity online on February 11^th – whether it’s on your blog, website, or social networking profile. Help us raise the voices of those calling for freedom and justice inside Iran.”

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