Riot police crack down on Iran protesters

updated 6:52 p.m. ET June 22, 2009

TEHRAN, Iran - Riot police cracked down anew on demonstrators in Iran's capital on Monday hours after the feared Revolutionary Guard threatened to crush any further post-election protests. A witness described an "air of sadness" marked by people wailing prayers into the night.

Security forces used tear gas and fired live bullets in the air to break up a group of about 200 protesters paying tribute to a young woman whose apparent shooting death was captured on video and circulated around the world.

The show of force came as the country's highest electoral authority, the Guardian Council, acknowledged some irregularities in 50 districts — including more votes being cast than registered voters. But the council insisted the result of the June 12 presidential election was not affected.

The Guards' threat of "revolutionary confrontation" if the protests persist was another signal the regime is taking a zero-tolerance approach to Iran's worst civil unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered opposition supporters on Friday to halt their marches and respect the election outcome, saying President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won a resounding victory.

Iran says at least 17 protesters have died in a week of unrest, including at least 10 killed in confrontations the day after Khamenei's speech.

Opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has alleged widespread and systematic fraud, issued his own challenge Sunday, telling supporters: "The country belongs to you ... Protesting against lies and fraud is your right."

Severe restrictions on reporters have made it almost impossible to independently verify any reports on demonstrations, clashes and casualties. Iran has ordered reporters for foreign news agencies to stay in their offices, barring them from any reporting on the streets.

'Sabotage and rioting'
In a statement on its Web site Monday, the Revolutionary Guard ordered demonstrators to "end the sabotage and rioting," calling the protests a "conspiracy" against Iran. It told demonstrators to "be prepared for ... revolutionary confrontation with the Guards, Basij and other security forces and disciplinary forces" if rallies continue. The Basij, a plainclothes militia under the Guard's command, has been blamed for some of the protesters' deaths.

Despite the warnings, some 200 people heeded a call on Persian-language blogs and Twitter feeds to rally Monday at Tehran's Haft-e-tir Square in memory of Neda Agha Soltan, the young woman shown on video as she apparently bled to death, and other "martyrs."

Witnesses told The Associated Press that helicopters hovered overhead as riot police fired live rounds and lobbed tear gas to break up the gathering.

Security forces ordered people to keep walking and prevented even small groups from gathering — at one point taking the extraordinary step of separating couples who emerged from a subway station, the witnesses said. They asked not to be identified for fear of government reprisals.

An Iranian woman who lives in Tehran said there was a heavy police and security presence.

"There is a massive, massive, massive police presence," she told the AP in Cairo by telephone, speaking on condition of anonymity because she was worried about government reprisals. "Their presence was really intimidating."

"What you see is nothing (compared) to what is really happening," said the woman. "People are very, very despondent. There is an air of sadness around."

At night, she added, cries of "Allahu Akbar!" or "God is great!" echo through Tehran, saying that was "the only way that they are able to express themselves."

MORE FROM MIDEAST & N. AFRICA

Mideast & N. Africa Section Front

Dubai’s debt crisis jolts markets Muslims cast stones on third day of hajj   25 countries tell Iran to ax nuke program British envoy: U.S. was 'hell bent' on Iraq war U.N. monitor: Iran nuke inquiry at ‘dead end’ Stocks end lower on Dubai’s debt woes Newsweek: The myth of terrorism in North Africa Dubai debt plea sends fear around world Muslim pilgrims get respite from rain Iran seizes Nobel Peace Prize winner's medal Mideast & N. Africa Section Front   Add Mideast & N. Africa headlines to your news reader: