
“Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”
Nightsticks and water cannons, tear gas, padlocks,
Molotov cocktails and rocks behind every curtain,
False-hearted judges dying in the webs that they spin,
Only a matter of time ’til night comes steppin’ in.
The Islamic Republic continues to demonstrate the inherent attractiveness and reasonableness of Sharia.
“Witnesses report fierce clashes on Tehran streets,” by Ali Akbar Dareini and Nasser Karimi for Associated Press, June 20 (thanks to James):
TEHRAN, Iran — Police beat protesters and fired tear gas and water cannons at thousands who rallied Saturday in open defiance of Iran’s clerical government, sharply escalating the most serious internal conflict since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Eyewitnesses described fierce clashes near Revolution Square in central Tehran after some 3,000 protesters, many wearing black, chanted “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to dictatorship!” Police fired tear gas, water cannons and guns but it was not immediately clear if they were firing live ammunition.
English-language state TV confirmed that police had used batons and other non-lethal weapons against what it called unauthorized demonstrations.
The witnesses told The Associated Press that between 50 and 60 protesters were seriously beaten by police and pro-government militia and taken to Imam Khomeini hospital in central Tehran. People could be seen dragging away comrades bloodied by baton strikes.
Some protesters appeared to be fighting back, setting fire to militia members’ motorcycles in streets near Freedom Square, witnesses said….
Amateur video showed dozens of Iranians running down a street after police fired tear gas at them. Shouts of “Allahu Akbar!” “” “God is Great” “” could be heard on the video, which could not be independently verified.
The English-language state channel said a blast at the Tehran shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had killed one person and wounded two but the report could not be independently confirmed due to government restrictions on independent reporting. The shrine is about 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of central Tehran….