PRO-GOVERNMENT RALLIES PLANNEDState television said annual nationwide rallies and events were scheduled for Saturday to commemorate pro-government demonstrations held in 2009 to counter protests by reformists. In Qom, a stronghold of the Shi’ite clergy, footage posted on social media showed protesters attacking Ayatollah Khamenei by name. In social media footage, which could not be authenticated, riot police were seen using water cannon and tear gas to disperse crowds. Openly political protests are rare in Iran, where security services are omnipresent. Social media videos also showed demonstrators chanting “Leave Syria, think about us”, criticising Iran’s military and financial support for Assad.

Source: New Strait Times December 29, 2017 23:26 UTC