Cleric Funeral Rejuvenates Iran Protests, Tehran Goes ‘Arab” with Foreign Media………
“Iranian reformists have clashed with police after the funeral of a dissident cleric, opposition websites say. Earlier, tens of thousands took part in a procession for Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri in the holy city of Qom. Clashes reportedly broke out, but the scale of the confrontation is not clear, says a BBC correspondent. Montazeri - who died aged 87 of natural causes in Qom on Saturday night - had decried President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election in June as a fraud. The reformist Jaras website said mourners chanted slogans in support of the cleric and also of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi. Mr Mousavi took part in the procession, along with fellow opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi. Another site, Rahesabz.net, said some members of the hardline pro-government faction Ansar Hezbollah tried to stop chanting in the crowd, but left "after clashing with some people". Many mourners were carrying green banners or wearing green - the colour of Iran's opposition……....”
Iranian official media (Alalam and Press TV) have ignored the event. There apparently were many thousands of people out on the streets in mourning and protest. Iranian officials have taken a page from the book of the Arab oligarchies in suppressing the protests. They have decided to go “a l'Arab” in this case and banned the foreign media from covering the Ayatollah Montazeri funeral and the protests.
Cheers and Happy Holidays
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