Iran cracks down on social media as 2 killed in protests
TEHRAN: Iran cut access to social media on Sunday in a bid to head off further protests after days of unrest that saw two people killed and dozens arrested.
The interior minister warned protesters will “pay the price” as conservative-linked Fars news agency reported that around 200 protestors marched through downtown Tehran.
Several hundred were shown gathering in Kermanshah city, according to footage shared online by a group linked to the Revolutionary Guards.
The spate of demonstrations began in Mashhad city on Thursday over high living costs, but spread throughout the country and turned against the Islamic system as a whole, with slogans such as “Death to the dictator”.
Lorestan deputy governor Habibollah Khojastehpour told state television that two people were killed in clashes in Dorud town on Saturday, but denied security forces were responsible.
After an initial silence, state media has begun showing footage of unrest, focusing on young men violently targeting banks and vehicles, an attack on at own hall in Tehran, and images of a man burning the Iranian flag.
“Those who damage public property, disrupt order and break the law must be responsible for their behaviour and pay the price,” interior minister Abdolrahman Rahmani Fazli said. “The spreading of violence, fear and terror will definitely be confronted.” AGENCIES