« A day of mourning for Mahsa Amini, the young woman whose death sparked a protest movement in Iran, was marred by violence yesterday as security forces attacked and shot at demonstrators in parts of the country, according to media reports, rights groups and videos posted on social media » reports Natasha Frost in The New York Times Morning Briefing.
Security forces attacked protesters with tear gas, beat them with batons and in some places, like Tehran, Shiraz, Qazvin and Saghez, opened fire on them with pellets, paint and live bullets, videos showed. Some crowds in the capital fought back, chasing security forces and setting fire to their motorcycles.
In Shiraz, a southern city, state media reported that at least two gunmen opened fire into a crowd at the Shah Cheragh Mosque, a landmark tourist attraction, killing 15 people, including two children, and injuring 40. Government officials called it a terrorist attack by foreigners, and the Islamic State claimed responsibility.
Details: Large crowds in the streets clapped and defiantly chanted the mantras of the protesters: “Women, Life, Freedom” and “We will fight and take Iran back.” In the capital, Tehran, women tossed their head scarves onto bonfires in the street, shouting “Freedom! Freedom!” And in many places, the protesters condemned the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and chanted for his death and removal.
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The New York Times, October 27, 2022, Natasha Frost