Anti-government slogans at Tehran press fair, say witnesses (Roundup)

Oct 23, 2009, 14:49 GMT

Tehran - Supporters of the Iranian opposition on Friday shouted anti-government slogans at a press fair in Tehran, eyewitnesses said.

The protests started after Mehdi Karroubi, the leader of the opposition party Etemad Melli, visited the press fair held in the Mossala complex in northern Tehran and attended by local and foreign media representatives.

After seeing the moderate cleric, many of the visitors shouted slogans in favour of Karroubi and opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi and against the administration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The incident led to interference by police forces who entered the fair to put an end to the spontaneous protest gathering, the witnesses added.

While confirming the incident, state news agencies reported that Karroubi had to be taken out of the fair venue for avoiding clashes between opposition and Ahmadinejad supporters.

ISNA news agency reported that despite the departure of Karroubi, clashes occurs between Karroubi and Moussavi with Ahmadinejad supporters which the police could however eventually end by their interference.

Fars news agency reported that Ahmadinejad supporters attacked and forced Karroubi out of the fair venue adding that his bodyguards even fired air shots to protect the moderate cleric from them.

The Green Movement supporting Moussavi and the Karriubi plan to avail themselves of the annual anti-US rallies on November 4 to continue their protests against President Ahmadinejad.

The president is accused by the opposition and its supporters of fraud in the June 12 presidential election which led to Ahmadinejad's re-election.

The protests have so far killed between 30 to 79 demonstrators and over 100 dissidents, including former reformist officials, are still in jail on charges of planning a soft revolution against the Islamic establishment.