Iran hardliners keep lid on ancient fire festival

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L16629846.htm

Source: Reuters

By Christian Oliver

ISFAHAN, Iran, March 16 (Reuters) - Iranian authorities beat up and tear gassed exuberant young revellers as they breathed new life into a pre-Islamic fire festival with a night of dancing, flirting and fireworks.

The Islamic Republic, which has an awkward relationship with its ancient Zoroastrian religion, only gave guarded recognition to the "Chaharshanbe Souri" festival last year.

Hundreds of people poured onto the streets in Tehran and other cities for a rare night of partying. Public revelry is unusual in Iran where the authorities consider it to be at odds with the country's strict moral codes.

The IRNA news agency said police used tear gas in more than four places in Tehran. Vigilantes were also seen beating up a group of boys in the central city of Isfahan.

Photos of Iran's clerical regime were set fire across Iran as mass clashes between pro-Democracy Iranians and the reigning mullahs.



Signs were hung on dogs as derogatory insult towards Khamenei.

http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2005/march-2005/chahr_shanbeh_souri_15305.shtml

TEHRAN, 15 Mar. (IPS) Serious but sporadic clashes opposed Tuesday many young Iranians to security and police forces, leaving several injured, according to eyewitnesses.

“Young boys and girls, angry at the decision of the Prosecutor for Tehran and the Islamic Revolution tribunals to ban traditional and popular festivities of “chahar shanbeh souri”, or the last Wednesday of the Iranian Year, fought with Law Enforcement Forces in several areas of Tehran, shouting slogans against the Islamic Republic and some of the regime’s senior leaders like Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i”, witnesses reported.

According to some witnesses from different places in the capital, the population prepared bonfires in the streets and exploded fire crackers, some of them as strong as hand grenade from early as in the afternoon.

Most of the injured had been beaten up by plain clothes security men dispatched by the Judiciary.
The authorities said as a result of the fire crackers and bonfires, at least 2 people were killed and more than 40 others were taken to hospitals, with injuries due to the fire.

But informed sources said most of the injured had been beaten up by plain clothes security men dispatched by the Judiciary.

“The result was clashes with the police resulting in huge traffic jams, allowing people, mostly young ones, to chant anti-regime and anti-clerics slogans, with “Referendum, this is the wish of the people” as the main leitmotiv”, one eyewitness told Iran Press Service.

mamma!