Violence erupts in defiant Tehran protests

Protests continued into the night in Tehran as demonstrators clashed with Iranian security forces, and President Obama warned Iran that it would not get the respect it seeks from the world until it respects its own people.

Eyewitnesses reported fires burning in downtown Tehran. Many residents of the capital again took to their roofs to chant “God is Great,” a slogan used during the 1979 Islamic Revolution that has been revived since the disputed presidential election last week shook the foundations of the Islamic republic.

Earlier, Iranian security forces cracked down harshly on demonstrators who defied a warning by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to end protests challenging the purported landslide re-election victory of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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Thousands of protesters gathered in downtown Tehran on Saturday afternoon. Witnesses said the demonstrators chanted “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to dictatorship!” in apparent reference to Ayatollah Khamenei.

An Iranian who asked to be identified only by his first name, Ali, told The Washington Times that he saw security forces near Azadi (Freedom) Square dropping tear-gas canisters into buildings sheltering demonstrators, driving motorcycles into crowds of people and firing tear gas into demonstrators’ eyes. As he spoke, continuous shooting could be heard in the background, along with cries and shouts.

A graphic video posted on Facebook by Goli Fassihian, a spokeswoman for the National Iranian American Council, showed the body of a young woman whose face was covered in blood. Another video showed a young man with blood on his chest lying on the street, with gunshots ringing out around him.

Other videos posted on Facebook and numerous other Web sites showed security forces firing into crowds of jeering demonstrators and fires raging in the streets.

A Tehran resident who asked to be identified only by her first name, Maryam, told The Times by phone that plainclothes police made no effort to arrest people near Azadi Square, choosing instead to beat or shoot them.

Government media reported earlier that a suicide bomber blew himself up at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Revolution.

CNN reported at least 19 dead from clashes with security forces. The Associated Press said 50 to 60 injured had been taken to hospitals. The government has released no figures, and journalists have been ordered to remain in their offices.

A Tehran resident who asked to remain anonymous sent an e-mail to a reporter saying that he was beaten by members of the Basij, a paramilitary group.

“When we got to the meeting place, it was chaos. Everyone was running and shoving and pushing. People were yelling profanity at the Basij, who would beat them in return. I was smacked in the side with a baton four times. We hadn’t even reached the actual protest yet. This was still on the outside, where Basij were forcing people back. I found one of my friends with a bloody nose. There was blood on the cabs, on the streets, everywhere. We heard about deaths and decided to turn back. Now I’m home.”

Reuters news agency reported that Mir Hossein Mousavi, the opposition candidate, who many Iranians think actually won the June 12 election, appeared in southwestern Tehran and said he was “ready for martyrdom.” The news agency, quoting an identified Mousavi ally, said Mr. Mousavi also called for a national strike if he is arrested.

Shaul Bakhash, a professor at George Mason University whose book “The Reign of the Ayatollahs” describes Iran’s 1979 revolution, praised Mr. Mousavi for not backing down as other Iranian leaders have done during pro-democracy protests over the past decade.

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