On the Web: ‘Something must be done’

'Cell network down'
On Wednesday, demonstrators gathered at Baharestan Square, near the Iranian Parliament, but the gathering was met with gunshots, according to Saeed Valadbaygee, writing June 24 from inside Iran on his Revolutionary Road blog:

"In Baharestan Sq. A girl is shot and the police is not allowing to let them help"

"Cell network down in Baharestan & nearby area...

"The girl who was shot was taken to a private clinic, not known yet of her well being ... alive or not?

"People gathered in Baharestan but police & plain cloths don't let the core of the rally to form

"All shops and Passages are closed at Baharestan SQ, Gunshot being heard from Jomhori St

"Gunshot being heard at Baharestan Sq.

"More than 3 people have been shot in Baharestan's conflict, The shooting is still continues and conflicts increasing!!!!

"Heavy conflict between protestors and special guards at Sa'adi cinema intersection."

Valadbaygee also wrote that 25 journalists were arrested "last night... Arrested journalists have been threatened to write in support of Ahmadinejad and his government and not to support popular gatherings anymore."

'Many .. have been beaten and injured'
From Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi's Web site June 24:

"Many people have been beaten and injured at the protests across Tehran today. At Baharestan the police were waiting inside local mosques for the protesters to arrive. At this point many one would consider the actions of the Basij and Police as acts of Terror. This is amazing that even in the year 2009 such primitive policing still exists in Tehran which is a modern looking city in places.

"Police are confiscating mobile phones from any suspected protesters in an attempt to gather information on upcoming protests"

"In an attempt to stop the protest taking place outside the Iranian Parliament today they have closed the Baharestan tube station"

"Mousavi is not under house arrest but as many have suspected his movements are closely monitored by security agents. He will attend the peaceful protests where possible. His supports are hoping to see him soon."

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that on Mousavi's site, "his wife Zahra Rahnavard was also quoted as demanding the release of people detained since the election, who include 25 employees of her husband's newspaper.

" 'It is my duty to continue legal protests to preserve Iranian rights,' she was quoted as saying on the Web site."

No yielding 'to pressure at any cost'
Arab news channel Al Jazeera said that "state-run media" reported Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying: " 'I had insisted, and will insist, on implementing the law on the election issue.

" 'Neither the establishment nor the nation will yield to pressure at any cost.' "

Al Jazeera also said: " 'Yasmin,' a student protester told Al Jazeera that several hundred people had gathered near the parliament, but Mousavi was yet to show up.

"She said the protesters were hiding in metro stations and pretending to be just passing by to hoodwink police deployed across the city in very large numbers.

"Al Jazeera's Alireza Ronaghi said from Tehran that given the stringent security measures, staging rallies was going to be very difficult."

...."Although streets protests have diminished since police and pro-government militias used tear gas, batons and water cannon against protesters on Saturday, calls for further protests among supporters of Ahmadinejad's opponents have continued.

"Nazenin Ansari, the diplomatic editor of the Kahylan newspaper, told Al Jazeera that the fall in numbers gathering to protest was understandable given the "degree of repression on the streets".

" 'Without a doubt, although there are not millions gathering on the streets because of the indiscriminate fire and repression, this is going to transform,' she said.

" 'In provinces, where people were before gathering in universities, in recent days we are seeing people gathering in main squares.' "

'Accusations of meddling'
Arab news agency Al Arabiya said June 24: "Iran's intelligence minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei said some people with British passports were involved in post-election violence, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported.

"The minister also said one of the people arrested was a British national 'disguised as a journalist.'

"In more accusations of meddling Iran's interior minister accused U.S. spy agency the CIA of helping to fund 'rioters.'

" 'Britain, America and the Zionist regime (Israel) were behind the recent unrest in Tehran,' Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli was quoted as saying by Fars."

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