Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The government militias forcibly suppressed an opposition rally; former president Mohammad Khatami was also involved in the clashes. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, meanwhile, has once again denied the Holocaust, calling it an "invention" and a "pretext" used to occupy Palestine.
It was a day of clashes and tension today in Tehran and other parts of the country. The government leadership mobilized en masse to celebrate the International Day of Al-Quds, born to witness the "solidarity of the Persian nation to the Palestinians." The festival was first established in 1979 by Ayatollah Khomenei, promoter of the Islamic Revolution and the founding father of the Iranian Republic. The event was patrolled by security forces and the Basij militia, ready to suppress any form of dissent. In his speech, Ahmadinejad reiterated the negationist thesis and attributed to the "Zionist regime" the conflicts in "Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan."
Also today, the opposition organized several counter-demonstrations, which were attended by thousands of people. In one of these was also the former President of the Republic Khatami attacked by a conservative fringe. The moderate leader was thrown to the ground, immediate the reaction of his supporters, who managed to snatch him from the hands of assailants and repel the assault. In another demonstration, a pro-government group tried to attack the opposition leader Mir Hosein Moussavi. Eye-witnesses present at the scene reported the incident but it has yet to be independently confirmed, because Iranian authorities have prevented foreign journalists covering opposition demonstrations.