Clashes in Tehran as students protest

SECURITY forces and militiamen clashed with thousands of protesters shouting “death to the dictator” outside Tehran University yesterday, beating them with batons and firing tear gas on a day of nationwide student demonstrations, witnesses said.

The protests were the largest in months, bringing tens of thousands out in marches at more than a dozen campuses around the country and in several squares in Tehran, as university students – a bedrock of support for the pro-reform movement – sought to energise the opposition. The opposition has been reeling under a fierce crackdown since turmoil erupted over the disputed presidential election in June.

Thousands of riot police, Revolutionary Guard forces and pro-government Basij militiamen flooded the area around Tehran University since the morning, vowing to prevent any unrest from spilling out into the streets.