Iran

Ahmadinejad Sworn In Amid Protests

Demonstrators battle riot police.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in as president of Iran Wednesday as hundreds and perhaps thousands of protesters battled with riot police in Tehran's Bahrestan Square. The Iranian leader's disputed election on June 12 set off the largest protest in the country in a generation. “It is not important who voted for whom. What we need is national greatness," Ahmadinejad said in a speech broadcast live on television. "We are representing a great nation. It needs great decisions and great deeds. We need to take great steps." According to reports, around 50 of Iran's 290 lawmakers skipped the ceremony, with some leaving the chamber as Ahmadinejad spoke. Widespread oppression has continued. A Basiji militaman, according to the Los Angeles Times, said "If somebody dressed in green comes to the streets, it means we have to arrest him or her."