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Iran elections: Khamenei warns protesters to stay off streets
guardian.co.uk, ^ | Friday 19 June 2009 11.15 BST | Haroon Siddique

Posted on 06/19/2009 3:52:51 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach


Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, giving his Friday prayer sermon at Tehran University. Photograph: Reuters TV/Reuters

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, remained defiant today in the face of vote-rigging allegations as he condemned the protests that have rocked the country since last week's disputed elections.

Speaking at Friday prayers, Khamenei claimed that the high turnout at the elections showed how much the Iranian people supported the regime, and warned protesters to keep off the streets.

The reformist presidential challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi, was conspicuous by his absence from Friday prayers at Tehran University, where Khamenei was making his first public appearance since controversially endorsing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election as president.

With the crowd chanting "Death to the US," Khamenei praised the president as "hardworking" and dismissed the idea that the election might have been rigged.

"The Islamic republic will never manipulate votes and commit treason," he said. "The legal structure in this country does not allow vote-rigging." He said that vote-rigging to the extent of the 11m votes in the official results was impossible.

He added: "If some people have doubts and evidence it should be dealt with through legal ways – only through legal ways. I will never accept illegal innovations."

Some followers of Mousavi, who support his claim to have won the election, had called for a boycott of prayers at the university because of the refusal to annul the result of the poll, but TV pictures showed thousands of people listening to Khamenei and occasionally chanting affirmation of his words.

Khamenei said people were "wrong" to think they could influence the establishment by taking to the streets.

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: iran; iranviolence2009; khamenei; studentmovement
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Latest 10 seconds ago from PersianKiwi: confirmed - Shahab Talebani has been arrested today
41 posted on 06/19/2009 8:10:42 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money -- Thatcher)
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To: PapaBear3625

Alternate spelling, “Shahab Tabatabaei”, is a top aide to Mousavi and has been one of the spokesmen to Western media.


42 posted on 06/19/2009 8:17:19 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money -- Thatcher)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Nothing will change there.


43 posted on 06/19/2009 9:10:07 AM PDT by Islaminaction
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Yea OK, obviously he is the man with the power and Mousavi is the same prize in a different package.


44 posted on 06/19/2009 9:11:57 AM PDT by Islaminaction
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To: Islaminaction; 556x45; Virginia Ridgerunner; 1010RD
Just posted this:

BBC enlisting new satellites to broadcast in Iran

45 posted on 06/19/2009 10:50:04 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Support Geert Wilders)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
from twitter: RT: Fake supporters were bussed into #Tehran from the rural villages for Khamenei

Share photos on twitter with Twitpic

46 posted on 06/19/2009 11:31:18 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money -- Thatcher)
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To: PapaBear3625

It’s gonna take a lot of buses to match the anti crowds...they are also coming in from other cities.


47 posted on 06/19/2009 11:40:40 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Support Geert Wilders)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Today's #IranElection photo story..
48 posted on 06/19/2009 11:53:33 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money -- Thatcher)
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To: PapaBear3625; NormsRevenge; Marine_Uncle; SolidWood; Straight Vermonter; G8 Diplomat; Man50D; ...
That is a collection...good photos....

Will be out for much of the rest of the day.

Tomorrow may be a momentous day.

49 posted on 06/19/2009 12:14:03 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Support Geert Wilders)
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To: PapaBear3625
From Flopping Aces:

Iran Protests Grow

Might be something new in it....haven't gone thru it.

50 posted on 06/19/2009 12:19:02 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Support Geert Wilders)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
From Tweeter:

about tomorrow

*******************************************

RT Iran the entire Farsi twitter network talking about tomorrow 4PM & what will happen to our rallies after khamaneyi's speech #iranelection

half a minute ago from web


51 posted on 06/19/2009 12:21:37 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Support Geert Wilders)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
More:

****************************

Clemons on new trend of "Basiji hunting": http://bit.ly/fkh0V #Iranelection

52 posted on 06/19/2009 12:22:58 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Support Geert Wilders)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Excellent news. At least the Brits still have some guts.


53 posted on 06/19/2009 3:09:09 PM PDT by 1010RD (First Do No Harm)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Hats off to those Google fascists.


54 posted on 06/19/2009 3:10:07 PM PDT by 1010RD (First Do No Harm)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

If the story holds true, then the police are arming the youth. That is a huge change, especially if they are willing to use them. Proving the Basiji vulnerable will escalate the situation while at the same time envigorating others to support the Greens.


55 posted on 06/19/2009 3:16:10 PM PDT by 1010RD (First Do No Harm)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

thanks Ernest!


56 posted on 06/19/2009 4:53:29 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Thanks E.


57 posted on 06/19/2009 5:02:03 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Obama must be making huge piles of cigarette butts around the WH grounds at this point.)
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