Iranians are rallying....[637 ]

Iranians rally to mark revolution

People gather at Tehran's Azadi square BBC, 14:02 GMT, Thursday, 11 February 2010 Hundreds of thousands of pro-government Iranians are rallying to mark the 31st anniversary of the nation's revolution. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used the rally to attack the West, and said Iran had produced its first stock of 20% enriched uranium. The opposition is trying to mount counter-demonstrations, but faces a huge security crackdown and two of its leaders have reportedly been attacked. The anniversary is the most important day in Iran's political calendar. The government has warned protesters will be dealt with. Official events are being held across Iran, but the main gathering is at Tehran's Azadi Square. State TV showed tens of thousands of people filling the streets. Mr Ahmadinejad told the crowds Iran was now a "nuclear state" and would soon treble output of 20% enriched uranium. ANALYSIS Jon Leyne, BBC Tehran correspondent, reporting from London In the media battle, so far today has certainly been a victory for the Iranian government. It's not clear, though, whether today's events will do anything to break the deadlock between government and opposition. The opposition reports a security presence in Tehran perhaps unprecedented in recent years, with roads blocked, and layers of police and members of the Basij militia, all designed to prevent them gathering or getting near the official demonstration. Those who have made it to central Tehran have been confronted with riot police, tear gas, possibly even gunfire. It indicates that the authorities are still deeply nervous about their support, and the government could still be vulnerable if there are new problems with the economy, or if they attempt to round up the leaders of the opposition. The battle for the future of Iran continues. John Leyne on cyber wars He added that Western countries were hampering genuine reform in Iran. BBC Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne says the anniversary could be the largest confrontation since the disputed election last June, and the government and opposition have chosen to make the day a huge trial of strength. Our correspondent says the government is very nervous about the opposition demonstrations, but its own supporters have drawn a good crowd. Meanwhile, reports from the micro-blogging site Twitter and pro-opposition websites said opposition Green Movement supporters were holding rallies, one of them in the city's Saddeqiya Street. The opposition is trying to bring more people into central Tehran but is being confronted by a large number of the government's Basij militia, the reports say. Security forces are armed with tear gas, live rounds - which they are firing into the air - and paint balls to mark protesters. Witnesses say they have been loading opposition supporters onto buses. Amateur footage purportedly showing opposition protests has been appearing on the video-sharing website YouTube, including at least one rally in the Tehran underground. We are closely watching the sedition movement, and several people preparing to disrupt the rallies were arrested Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam Police chief US expands Iran Guards sanctions More sanctions on way for Iran? In pictures: Iran revolution rallies Iranians: revolution anniversary Iran claims uranium 20% milestone Opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi had been intending to attend the Saddeqiya street rally, reports say, but his bodyguards were attacked by members of the Basij as he emerged from his car. His son was arrested as he tried to intervene. The reformist former President Mohammad Khatami was also reportedly attacked. His brother, Mohammed Reza Khatami, and his wife, Zahra Eshraghi, the granddaughter of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, were arrested but later released. Other opposition sources said security forces had fired shots and tear gas at supporters of Mir-Hossein Moussavi, Mr Ahmadinejad's main rival in last June's elections. Advertisement Protesters thought to be in Tehran - This video, posted on YouTube, has not been verified by the BBC There are also reports of opposition protests in the cities of Tabriz, Shiraz and Isfahan. Anti-government websites urged marchers to display green emblems or clothes - the colour adopted by the opposition movement after the disputed election on 12 June last year. 'Ready for trouble' Deadly clashes erupted after the poll, and have taken place sporadically since then. Ahead of the commemorations, police chief Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam said the Revolutionary Guards and Basij Islamic militia were ready for any trouble. "We are fully prepared for holding a safe and glorious rally," he told the semi-official Fars news agency, according to Reuters news agency. "We are closely watching the activities of the sedition movement, and several people who were preparing to disrupt the 11 February rallies were arrested," he said. Our correspondent says the situation is now a stalemate, with the opposition showing it is still around and cannot be kept off the streets. The government is not used to such protests and is infuriated by this, he adds, although opposition support appears not to be enough to overthrow the government. There are reports that internet access has been restricted. Web giant Google says its e-mail traffic in Iran has dropped sharply, even though its networks were working properly. Google said users of its Gmail service had experienced difficulties following a newspaper report about official restrictions. "Whenever we encounter blocks in our services we try to resolve them as quickly as possible," the California-based company said in a statement. "Sadly, sometimes it is not within our control." Twitter and other social networking sites were used extensively during the post-election protests.