Protests in Teheran resumed Monday afternoon, with police reportedly attacking hundreds of demonstrators with tear gas and firing in the air to disperse the rallies.
Helicopters hovered overhead as about 200 protesters gathered at Haft-e-Tir Square. Hundreds of anti-riot police quickly put an end to the demonstration.
Witnesses said police at the scene tried to prevent any gathering, even among small groups. At the subway station at Haft-e-Tir, police did not allow anyone to stand still, asking them to keep walking and separating people who were walking together.
Just before the clashes, an Iranian woman who lives in Teheran said there was a heavy police and security presence in another square in central Teheran. She asked not to be identified because she was worried about government reprisals.
The renewed clashes came as Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened to crush any further opposition protests over the disputed presidential election and warned demonstrators to prepare for a "revolutionary confrontation" if they take to the streets again.
The country's most powerful military force ordered demonstrators to "end the sabotage and rioting activities" and said their resistance was a "conspiracy" against Iran.
A statement posted on the Guard's Web site warned protesters to "be prepared for a resolution and revolutionary confrontation with the Guards, Basij and other security forces and disciplinary forces."
But, in my opinion, the Opposition Leaders are playing a good hand. Instead of encouraging further protests, they are calling for a General Strike:
The Revolutionary Guard, seeing that the police and the Basijs have not been able to put down the protests, have decided to take matters into their own hands.
They believed they could do what the Basijs and the cops could not do. But, with the opposition calling a general strike, the Revolutionary Guard could be trumped.
What are the Revolutionary Guard going to do about a strike? Go door to door and force people to work?
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