Man sets self ablaze in Iranian opposition rally

Msnbc ^ | 06/17/2003 | Reuters

[thierrya]

Man sets self ablaze in Iranian opposition rally

LONDON, June 17 — A man set himself alight outside the French consulate in London on Tuesday, as protesters voiced anger over the arrest in France of an Iranian opposition leader.        The protest came after hundreds of French police stormed homes and offices of the Iranian opposition People's Mujahideen early on Tuesday morning, detaining 167 sympathisers.        Iran's clerical rulers are facing some of the most fervent protests on the streets of Tehran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.        In London, demonstrators moved on the French embassy early in the day. ''It was a peaceful demonstration until one man tried to put himself on fire,'' embassy employee Stephane Gompertz told Reuters.        ''Security guards and diplomatic police moved quickly to put a blanket on him,'' he added. London police said the 38-year-old's injuries were critical but not life-threatening.        ''Other demonstrators were treated for slight burns and one police officer was treated for smoke inhalation,'' said a spokesman. He estimated the demonstrators numbered only 50, while an eyewitness put the number at 300.        Among those seized by French police in Tuesday's raids was Maryam Rajavi, wife of Mujahideen founder Massoud Rajavi and head of the exile umbrella group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).        ''This is a dirty deal between France and Iran,'' said London protester Laila Jazayeri, 40. ''Our leaders have been arrested. We cannot tolerate this any more.''        She said police had prevented a woman from setting fire to herself earlier in the day.        The NCRI, a coalition of moderate and left-wing opponents of Islamic rule in Iran, has offices in Washington and many European countries, and presents itself as a potential replacement for Islamic rule.        The European Union put the the Mujahideen, the NCRI's military arm, on its list of banned ''terrorist'' organisations in May 2002 but did not include the NCRI.

[Frank_Discussion]

Hold my jerry can, AHHHHH!!! ALERT

[Frank_Discussion]

Seriously, I hate it when they do that. Nothing is worth symbolic self-immolation.

[DrewsDad]

I bet that will really burn them up.

[VRWCmember]

People's Mujahideen of the World Ignite!

[Frank_Discussion]

Gallows Humor... gotta love it...

[Frank_Discussion]

Ouch!

[brazos.357]

What a hot head.....or....What's got him all fired up?

[theDentist]

Probably immersed in French wine. "Doing le Flambe!"

[alloysteel]

What if they had a revolution and there were no revolutionaries left to enjoy it?

Doesn't the other side win then?

[nothingnew]

Man sets self ablaze in Iranian opposition rally

COOL!...uhm...er...HOT!

FMCDH

[South40]

He must have gone to the Janet Reno School of Politics.

[GOP_1900AD]

Whoaaaa..... !

[Frank_Discussion]

You'd think, eh? I'm series, a hot topic!

[freeper2003]

Flame On!!!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

That's the way it started in South Viet Nam, if you recall...

[DonaldC]

What a waste of fuel.

[plain talk]

ah ah ah ah burned alive, burned alive. ah ah ah ah burned aliveeeee (yeough that's hot!)

[FierceDraka]

I guess you could say he's "fired".