Police used tear gas, water cannons and batons Saturday to disperse thousands of protesters rallying in the central part of Iran's capital to demand a new presidential election, witnesses said.In this image taken from amateur video posted online Saturday, protesters are seen near a fire set on a street in Tehran. (Associated Press)
They said about 100 people were hurt after riot police charged the crowd of nearly 3,000 in Tehran's Revolution Square and began beating demonstrators.
Amateur video taken in the area showed a fiery barricade that protesters put up to block police.
There are also reports that opposition supporters set fire to a building used by backers of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Canadian freelance journalist George McLeod, one of the few foreign reporters remaining in the country, told CBC News he saw fires burning in the streets and heard small explosions.
"Tehran is quickly becoming very violent. There are protests all over the city," he said. "I saw three people being carried into ambulances. One had a head wound, the other seemed semi-unconscious. I don't know whether they were protesters, security forces or bystanders."
Opponents had called for more protests in Tehran a day after Iran's supreme leader said the re-election of Ahmadinejad on June 12 must be accepted.
Official results showing Ahmadinejad won by a two-to-one margin over former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi sparked a week of massive street protests by opposition supporters who allege the presidential vote was rigged.
Police filled Tehran's streets before rally
Earlier, McLeod reported that police worked to pre-empt the demonstration by showing up before the start of the rally, planned for 4 p.m. local time.
"There were hundreds and hundreds of riot police wearing green military-style outfits and carrying batons and shields," he said.
"Radiating out from the square there were hundreds and hundreds of plainclothes militia who were carrying batons and tear-gas cannons, and a few shotguns as well."
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday ordered opposition leaders to end the protests or be held responsible for any bloodshed.
"They will be responsible for the blood, violence and chaos," he said.
Elsewhere in the Iranian capital on Saturday, there were reports that a suicide bomber blew himself up at the mausoleum of the father of Iran's revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
State media in Iran said two people were wounded in the incident in the northern wing of the shrine.
They said about 100 people were hurt after riot police charged the crowd of nearly 3,000 in Tehran's Revolution Square and began beating demonstrators.
Amateur video taken in the area showed a fiery barricade that protesters put up to block police.
There are also reports that opposition supporters set fire to a building used by backers of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Canadian freelance journalist George McLeod, one of the few foreign reporters remaining in the country, told CBC News he saw fires burning in the streets and heard small explosions.
"Tehran is quickly becoming very violent. There are protests all over the city," he said. "I saw three people being carried into ambulances. One had a head wound, the other seemed semi-unconscious. I don't know whether they were protesters, security forces or bystanders."
Opponents had called for more protests in Tehran a day after Iran's supreme leader said the re-election of Ahmadinejad on June 12 must be accepted.
Official results showing Ahmadinejad won by a two-to-one margin over former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi sparked a week of massive street protests by opposition supporters who allege the presidential vote was rigged.
Police filled Tehran's streets before rally
Earlier, McLeod reported that police worked to pre-empt the demonstration by showing up before the start of the rally, planned for 4 p.m. local time.
"There were hundreds and hundreds of riot police wearing green military-style outfits and carrying batons and shields," he said.
"Radiating out from the square there were hundreds and hundreds of plainclothes militia who were carrying batons and tear-gas cannons, and a few shotguns as well."
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday ordered opposition leaders to end the protests or be held responsible for any bloodshed.
"They will be responsible for the blood, violence and chaos," he said.
Elsewhere in the Iranian capital on Saturday, there were reports that a suicide bomber blew himself up at the mausoleum of the father of Iran's revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
State media in Iran said two people were wounded in the incident in the northern wing of the shrine.
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