The defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi made an appearance at a protest rally on Monday, while at least one person was reportedly fatally shot during protests in Tehran.
Hundreds of thousands attended the rally in the capital city to support Mousavi’s call for an annulment of the election results, a day after President Ahmadinejad’s victory speech. Similar protests were held across several other major cities in Iran, ignoring an interior ministry ban on public protests.
“I came to show my respect for all the [people’s] steadfastness and awareness,” Mousavi told the crowd.
“Many political groups had requested permits to hold a parade protesting the large-scale violations in the election. Since no permits were issued and I heard that people might show up, I came so that while inviting everyone to defend their right, I could invite them to stay calm.”
This was Mousavi’s first public appearance since the June 12 presidential election, amid growing reports that the election results were rigged.
Reportedly, gunshots were also heard during today’s protests and some plain clothes people were seen carrying guns. According to an AP reporter, at least one person was killed and several others were injured after gunshots were fired at people protesting in front of a Basij (voluntary militia) compound.
Early Monday morning some pro-Mousavi students in Tehran University were attacked in their residence by plain-cloth men carrying batons. The students were beaten and some were reportedly thrown out of the resident windows.
