Iranian Protesters Chant “Freedom, Freedom”
Fox News reports that in Tehran today, tens of thousands of opposition supporters packed Iran’s main Islamic prayer sermon, chanting “freedom, freedom” and other slogans as their top clerical supporter Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani delivered a sermon sharply criticizing the country’s leadership over the crackdown on election protests.
“Doubt has been created (about the election results),” Rafsanjani said. “There is a large portion of the wise people who say they have doubts. We need to take action to remove this doubt.”
The now familiar and feared Basiji militiamen stood in front of riot police and charged into the crowd, firing rounds of tear gas directly into mass groups of protesters.
Mousavi’s Web site www.mowjcamp.com and a women’s rights site www.meydaan.com reported that prominent women’s rights activist, Shadi Sadr, was beaten by militiamen, pushed into a car and driven away to an unknown location.
Rafsanjani’s sermon was his first since the election, which ended his unusual silence over the turmoil. Throngs of worshippers interrupted him several times with chants of “azadi, azadi” — Persian for “freedom”.
Rafsanjani appeared to have tears in his eyes as he spoke of how Islam’s Prophet Muhammad “respected the rights” of his people.
The news report added that after the sermon, hundreds of the worshippers joined those still outside university, chanting Mousavi’s name and “coup-d’etat government, resign, resign,” referring to Ahmadinejad.
The Basiji and Iranian police may teargas and beat the crowds back, but the cries for “freedom, freedom” will not be stilled.
