Protests Against Iranian Regime Rock Tehran On Anti-Israel Holiday

An Iranian government holiday known as Quds Day, usually marked by protests of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, turned into an outlet for dissent against the country's regime Friday.

Protesters disrupted state-organized anti-Israel demonstrations and even brought out the green symbols of opposition candidate Mir Hussein Moussavi. Some accounts said tens of thousands of counter-demonstrators infiltrated the government-sponsored protests in Tehran, disrupting "death to Israel" chants with "death to Russia." Pro- and anti-government demonstrators mixed it up in the streets, and sidewalk debates over politics broke out throughout the city.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used the occasion for some of his strongest anti-Israel statements to date, including a reiteration of his infamous Holocaust denials. "If the Holocaust you claim is correct, why do you reject any research about it?" the president said before Friday prayers. "The Zionists are behind the ongoing wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan." Before Ahmadinejad's blistering address, protesters had crowded around, shouting "Liar, liar!"

No doubt recalling the Internet's impact on their protests earlier this year, anti-regime demonstrators uploaded videos of their marches to YouTube and reported the happenings on Twitter. Videos showed thousands chanting in the streets. Despite warnings that displays of opposition symbolism would be harshly punished, demonstrators waved green flags.

Iran: Pro- and Anti-Government Marchers Face Off in Tehran [Los Angeles Times]