July 9: street battles

July 9: street battles
: Update: Hoder is blogging the events in Iran on his English-language weblog.

: AFP says at IranMania:

Journalists also received written instructions not to cover any illegal gatherings — even though there was no immediate sign of any….

In a bid to ease tensions, the conservative judiciary has released a number of detained students, but at the same time made it clear that any further unrest — branded as the work of arch-enemy the United States — will not be tolerated.

Some of the students detained in the 1999 unrest — in which at least one student was killed and hundreds were injured or arrested — are still in jail.

: Sky News reports:

Police have faught running battles in Iran’s capital between hardline Islamic vigilantes and pro-democracy youths.

The three-sided running street fights took place near the capital’s Tehran University.

A witness said police had fired tear gas at groups of youths near the campus and also fought fist fights with plainclothes Islamic militiamen to prevent them from engaging in further running battles.

: Tehran Online, a blog, reports hearing explosions.