Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened reformist protestors on Monday, saying demonstrators should “be prepared for a resolution and revolutionary confrontation with the Guards, Basij and other security and disciplinary forces.” Protestors were ordered to back down.
The Basij is a militia that takes orders from the Revolutionary Guard, and has been involved in the deaths of protestors since rallies began several days ago.
Despite the warnings, thousands flooded the streets of Tehran, continuing protests that began more than a week earlier when incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was announced the victor of the nation's presidential elections. Ahmadinejad was proclaimed the president-elect by a large margin shortly after voting ended, leading to accusations that the vote was rigged.
A member of Iran's Guardian Council gave backing to such accusations on Sunday when he admitted that voting irregularities had been discovered in 50 cities. The confession came as the official, spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei, attempted to downplay rumors of election fraud, saying that in only 50 cities – and not more than 80, as rumored – did more than 100 percent of the eligible voting population cast a ballot.
Council members insisted that initial reports of Ahmadinejad's overwhelming victory were accurate despite elections fraud.
At least 19 have been killed by members of the Basij and pro-Ahmadinejad militias, and more than 450 were arrested over the weekend alone. Police have refused to say how many protestors were arrested over the course of the week.
One of those arrested was Faezeh Rafsanjani, a daughter of former Iranian President Akbar Rafsanjani, one of Ahmadinejad's political rivals. Faezeh Rafsanjani was released on Monday.
Slain Woman Becomes Symbol
One of those killed during the protests was a 27-year-old woman identified as Neda, who bled to death after being shot by a member of the Basij. The young woman's death was filmed and broadcast on the file-sharing site YouTube, where it was seen by tens of thousands of people within hours.
Witness accounts said Neda was an innocent bystander who was simply watching the rallies. The young victim has become a symbol for those protesting the Iranian regime, and on Monday many demonstrations featured signs proclaiming “I am Neda.”