Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Iranian Opposition: Security Forces Clash With Protesters in Central Iran

   VOA News 23 December 2009

   Iranian  opposition  groups are reporting new clashes between security
   forces  and  supporters  of  the late dissident cleric Grand Ayatollah
   Hossein Ali Montazeri in central Iran.
   Opposition  Web  sites  say  security forces cracked down Wednesday on
   opposition  protests  in  the Iranian cities of Isfahan and Najafabad,
   the cleric's birthplace.
   The  reports  say Iranian police in Isfahan fired tear gas to disperse
   protesters  taking part in a memorial service for Ayatollah Montazeri.
   They say several activists were arrested and many more were injured.
   Iranian  opposition  groups  also  say  sporadic  fighting  erupted in
   Najafabad  late  Tuesday  between  security  forces and protesters and
   continued Wednesday.
   The  reports  could  not  be  independently confirmed because Iran has
   banned foreign media from covering protests directly.
   Ayatollah  Montazeri  died Saturday in the holy city of Qom at age 87.
   He was considered a spiritual patron of Iran's reformist movement.
   Opposition  groups  said  hundreds  of  thousands of mourners joined a
   funeral   procession   in   Qom  Monday  that  evolved  into  a  major
   anti-government protest.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

.