Clashes reported at Iran protests

Clashes reported at Iran protests

A funeral was held for Montazeri on Monday in the Shia holy city of Qom [Reuters] Iranian security forces have reportedly clashed with protesters demonstrating in the central city of Isfahan. Large crowds were gathered around the Sayed mosque on Wednesday to mourn the death of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, a senior cleric who was critical of the Iranian government. An oppositiong website claimed pro-reform protestors had been injured by police. "Security forces clashed with pro-reform protestors ... police fired teargas to disperse people ... many people were injured ... some arrested," the website Jaras reported. However, Alireza Ronaghi, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Iran, said witnesses told him they had not heard any shots fired. A second demonstration was also taking place near the Sayed mosque in support of the government. Montazeri died on Sunday at the age of 87, and a funeral held in Qom on Monday drew tens of thousands of Iranians onto the streets. Mousavi dismissed Al Jazeera has also received reports that the home of Ayatollah Seyed Jalaleddin Taheri has been surrounded by pro-government forces. Taheri had denounced the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, in June as illegitimate. Mir Hossein Mousavi, the main Iranian opposition leader who went head-to-head against Ahmadinejad in the disputed election, has meanwhile been sacked from his government post. Mousavi was dismissed as the president of Iran's Academy of Art - a post he has held since its inception in 1999. Ahmadinejad heads the council that sacked Mousavi.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies