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Jun 20, 2009 5:45 pm US/Central
On Tape: Iranians Attack Possible Militia Member
TEHRAN, Iran (CBS) ―
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Iran state-run TV aired video of a motorcyclist being attacked by several men in Tehran on June 20, 2009, as clashes raged between protesters and security forces elsewhere in Iran's capital.
CBS
Iran state-run television network IRIB broadcast video of a motorcyclist being attacked by several men in Tehran on Saturday, as clashes between protesters and security forces raged elsewhere in the centre of the Iranian capital.
It was not immediately possible to confirm the motorcyclist's identity but witnesses said that some protesters appeared to be fighting back security forces, setting fire to militia members' motorcycles.
IRIB did not offer more details on the incident.
The incident came as witnesses reported police beating protesters and firing tear gas and water cannons at thousands who rallied Saturday in open defiance of an order by Iran's clerical government, escalating the most serious internal conflict since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Witnesses described fierce clashes after some 3,000 protesters, many wearing black, chanted: "Death to the dictator!" and "Death to dictatorship!" near Revolution Square in downtown Tehran.
There were no immediate confirmed reports of fatalities and the head of Iran's police said his men had been ordered to act with restraint.
The claims could not be independently verified as Iranian authorities have restricted all journalists working for foreign media from firsthand reporting on the streets.
The rules cover all journalists, including Iranians working for foreign media.
It blocks images and eyewitness descriptions of the protests and violence that has followed the disputed elections.
The order limits journalists for foreign media to work only from their offices, conducting telephone interviews and monitoring official sources such as state television.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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