BEIRUT, Lebanon — With his adversaries reportedly shunning the ceremony, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn into office for a second term Wednesday, almost two months after elections that divided the nation and sparked Iran’s deepest crisis since the Islamic revolution 30 years ago.
Protests erupted outside the parliament building as he was inaugurated, with several people arrested, according to news reports, and police using pepper spray to disperse demonstrators. But severe reporting restrictions in Iran hindered efforts to gauge the scale of the demonstration.
The official IRNA news agency said there was no “disturbance of the peace” on major streets and traffic circles in the Iranian capital during the inauguration, The Associated Press reported, quoting witnesses as saying at least 10 people were detained by police.
Witnesses said they included protesters in black T-shirts in a show of grief over Mr. Ahmadinejad’s inauguration, The A.P. said.
In a relatively low-key speech, news reports said, Mr. Ahmadinejad attacked foreign detractors, appealed for national … >>>
