Iranian exiles hold anti-Ahmedinejad demos in Germany (Roundup)

Jun 16, 2009, 18:28 GMT

   Frankfurt - Upwards of 2,000 Iranian exiles staged demonstrations in three major German cities Tuesday to protest against the controversial re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.

In Frankfurt, more than 1,000 Iranian exiles staged a peaceful demonstration in the city's central Roemerberg square to accuse Ahmedinejad of election fraud, media censorship and police violence.

   Marchers held up posters with Ahmedinejad's image with the words 'shame on you' while other posters said 'Where is my vote?'

   Frankfurt police said the demo, which had been chiefly called by Iranian student women's groups, was without incident.

In the northern city of Hamburg, however, five protesters at a demonstration outside the Iranian consulate were taken into custody when they tried to scale a fence and break into the consulate grounds.

Some 600 people took part in the Hamburg demo, carrying banners saying 'No to the putsch.' A police spokesman said that overall, the demonstration was peaceful.

In the capital Berlin, police said about 250 demonstrators held a peaceful march called by Iranian students groups.