TEHERAN – AN IRANIAN group that had planned to organise a rally on Saturday backed down after authorities warned of consequences if they went ahead in defiance of the supreme leader’s call for a halt to protest.
The reformist Combatant Clerics Assembly said ‘permission was asked to hold a rally, but since it has not been issued, there will be no rally held.’
Only minutes earlier, the interior ministry said no rally anywhere in the country was authorised and warned that ‘those who violate this will be confronted according to the law.’
Another organiser of the planned rally, supporters of defeated candidate Mehdi Karroubi, have not yet announced if they will demonstrate or not.
Police said the organisers of any future rallies would be arrested, with the police chief saying firm action would be taken against any demonstration.
Witnesses had reported late on Friday that uniformed and helmeted members of the hardline Basij militia had been deployed in Tehran streets, carrying clubs and some of them Kalashnikov rifles.
The militiamen had reportedly withdrawn from their positions on Saturday morning, but the situation remained tense.
An aide to Mr Karroubi had told AFP early on Saturday that a rally would be held in Teheran at 4.00 pm (7.30pm Singapore time). That came despite supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday demanding an end to marches and warning that candidates would be held responsible for any violence.
Meanwhile defeated candidates Mr Karroubi, former premier Mir Hossein Mousavi and ex-Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezai, were to meet officials to discuss alleged electoral violations.
However, Mr Mousavi and Mr Karroubi did not show up at the meeting, Press TV reported. Early on Saturday afternoon, Mr Mousavi’s newspaper website said he would soon make an ‘important’ announcement, but did not elaborate. And powerful former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was also to issue a statement, media reported.
In demanding an end to protests, Mr Khamenei warned that otherwise there could be further bloodshed beyond the seven deaths reported by state radio. — AFP
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