Another Day of Violent Protests

Another violent day in Iran: A rally of as many as 2,000 people today is the subject of numerous contradictory reports, as many blogs have posted video and tweets that paint a picture of a brutal, violent crackdown by 500 government forces. The Associated Press reported that gunshots were fired into the air, but reports elsewhere cited significantly more violence. Andrew Sullivan's The Daily Dish quotes a dramatic phone-call broadcast on CNN of a protester describing the horrific scene. "All of a sudden some 500 people with clubs came out of [undecipherable] mosque and they started beating everyone. They tried to beat everyone on [undecipherable] bridge and throwing them off of the bridge," the woman said. The Lede backs up this story, saying that several Iranian bloggers have reported hearing gunshots at the rally. One tweet picked up by the Huffington Post and Andrew Sullivan is the most disturbing of all, "In Baharestan we saw militia with axe choping ppl like meat - blood everywhere - like butcher...Fighting in Vanak Sq, Tajrish sq, Azadi Sq - now.." Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said reiterated that the election results will stand and the government has reportedly banned the family of Neda, the slain woman whose death has become a rallying cry for protesters, has been evicted from their home and is not allowed to mourn.