Khiaban 7 and 8: Baharestan Protest Account and More

Nat Troy sends along a selection of translations from Khiaban issues 7 and 8.  Thanks Nat!

Khiaban Issue 7

Bullet in Baharestan

According to human rights and democracy activists in Iran, after 12 this afternoon, on Wednesday 3 Tir, all the access points to Baharestan Square were closed and no underground trains were stopping at Baharestan station.  More special forces and anti-riot forces and even police had surrounded the Parliament building with their cars and motorcycles and ordered closed all the stores located on Baharestan Square, even stores along secondary roads terminating at the square.  They threatened to burn down any stores that did not close.  Despite strict control of all the approaches, a large crowd had reached the square by about 4:30 and was standing in silence.  The security forces had warned them not to gather and to disperse.  A number of people had black armbands on and a small number were holding proclamation signs above their heads.  Those with signs were attacks by guard forces and civilian dressed forces.  At about 4:40 guard and anti-riot forces surrounded the crowd gathered in the square and sprayed teargas to scatter the people, while the slogans ‘death to the dictator, people’ and ‘don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, we are all together’ could be heard.  The people trying to enter the square from surrounding streets were the target of baton attacks, and a number were also arrested.  The arrested were herded with batons to cars and beaten with batons inside the cars.  As the pressure from the crowd trying to enter the square steadily built, several shots were fired in the air to break up the people.  But as pressure built more, they began firing directly into the people, and cries of ‘we will protest, we will protest’ and ‘they killed my brother’ rose from the crowd.  For nearly an hour the sound of gunfire could be heard on Baharestan Square and the surrounding streets.  Every time a group of people would escape to surrounding streets under pressure from guard forces, they were chased down by men on motorcycles and assaulted with batons – moving the clash to surrounding streets.  According to reports, a number were killed in the clashes, and 30 people were arrested and more than 50 wounded.  As of yesterday, Basiji and guard forces positioned at the head of all the streets are stopping the people, especially, the young people, and searching photos and film taken on their mobile phones.  They are even stopping and searching cars.

Baharestan Has Awoken

Report from Baharestan

As expected, Baharestan was surrounded by security forces.  They were continuously dispersing the people, and the people gathering in another corner.  Everyone was expecting – and there were murmurings – that Mousavi would arrive, but no one saw him.  They had stopped the people and prevented them from moving towards the Parliament building.  Against the protests of people trying to reach their homes on that side, a security official was yelling: ‘We know that none of your houses are on that side.’  The security officials were openly filming the people.  One point worth mentioning is the weak presence of Basiji or plain clothes security forces compared to the police forces.  More anti-riot guard forces were intending to intimidate the people.  They were dragging their batons against the barricades or striking them against their shields to produce a frightening noise.  They are charging several people.  The crowd is large, and the protests more crowded than usual.  They are still openly threatening ‘If you go, the Special Forces will come and you will be beaten!!!!!!!!!’  They cleared out the pedestrian bridge in a savage way.  Men on motorcycles were moving through the protesters and threatening them with batons.  But the crowd, as if they had no fear, was constantly signaling to each other ‘don’t run, we are ordinary passersby.’  They released some teargas.  There was an odd apprehension among the security forces.  Even with violence it took about an hour to disperse the crowd.  The sound of gunshots arose.  There were clashes at several locations where the police quickly hauled people off to jail while beating and jeering at them.  There were searching the bags of black-clad boys, searching for a pretext or green gangs.  I heard that they killed a person.  The Baharestan subway station was closed – up to Sa’adi.  Helicopters were constantly hovering above the crowd.  The plain clothes police were not intervening a lot, and they were noticeably few, but there were armed, plain clothed individuals among the crowd, and it was not difficult to identify them.  Once or twice during the clashes they also struck onlookers.  They shoved the crowd and dispersed them to the surrounding streets.

News Shorts from Khiaban 8

Bita Samimizadeh Arrested

Interpreter and leftist student activist Bita Samimizadeh was arrested.  In ’86, she was detained incommunicado for close to 50 days in Ward 209 of Evin Prison and, recently, suspended for 2 semesters from university.

Mohammad Sayyadi Arrested

Hamed Sayyadi – former leftist activist of Bua’li University in Hamadan and political director of the Society of the university – was detained on Thursday of 4 Tir.  Last summer, he was detained at the Intelligence detention center.  Last winter he faced a sentence of 6 and a half years in a minimum-security prison, which was reduced to 2 and half years after his lawyer Dr. Sharif’s announcement of a request for a rehearing.

Workers of the World in Solidarity with the People of Iran

Demonstrations by representatives and members of four international trade unions in solidarity with the people of Iran, including Iranian workers, began on Friday.

These demonstrations, called for by the International Federation of Labor Unions, World Federation of Transportation Workers, International Federation of Teachers, and International Federation of Agricultural Industry, Food, and Services Workers, were organized for 20 countries

Wounded Hauled to Jail

Two protesters wounded in the recent violence were taken to Evin Prison.  According to disclosed reports, the two Tehran citizens wounded in this week’s clashes were Kurosh Shabazi and Karim Bagherpoor-yazdi.  A day ago they were taken from Revolutionary Guard affiliated Baqih hospital to Evin.

It should be mentioned that, without permission to contact or meet with these individuals, no information on their current physical condition is available.

In an unprecedented move, student activists from the Tehran Teachers Training College have been summoned to the Disciplinary Committee.

Blog News: In the final week of the school year, 50 students were summoned by the Disciplinary Committee of the Karaj Hesarak unit of Tehran Teachers Training College.  Among those summoned were the following members of the Islamic Students Society (established in 1349): Hamzeh Javanmard, Mohammad Qods, Mohammad Sharif, Amin Shojah, Behrooz Alavi, Hadi Binesh, Mehrab Abbasi-zadeh, Sina Hosseini, and Amjad Salehi.  The following student activists were also summoned: Amin Ariya, Sadra Boluki, Ahad Rezaian, Mozaher Baba Morad, Delavar Nazarian, Majid Ghobadi, Sobhan Bazvand.  At the same time, in a widespread effort other students have been called before the Disciplinary Committee.

Among those summoned up to this point, Mr. Rezaian was given a one-term suspension, not to count towards completion of his Bachelor’s degree.

In this regard, Islamic Students Society member Mohammad Sharifi comments: ‘The University intends to clampdown on the students by creating conditions for their expulsion – imposing penalties culminating in the completion of studies for some students.

He adds: ‘Summoning students at the end of the academic year and during examination period is intended to prevent university students from protesting.’

A number of students referred to this committee were summoned for participating in protest gatherings during the year, in particular, those against the widespread election violations; preparation and distribution of student publications; physical clash with the value-driven students of the university in completely controlled and previously targeted encounters organized by the value-driven forces of the university; and a lot of other groundless charges like destroying the university system, agitating public opinion, etc.

Civility of Religion

They have threatened families of the slain victims – agreeing to deliver the bodies of love ones only on condition that they sign away their right to file complaints against the assailants and police force.

They are extorting 5 to 14 million from families as payment for delivering the bodies of their love ones slain in clashes over the last 10 days.