Young hardliners attack political meeting with knives
and axes
TEHRAN, Nov 18 (AFP) - Young hardliners armed with knives and axes attacked
a public political meeting where two pro-reform MPs were speaking, the
governmental Iran daily said Saturday.
The half-hour attack Thursday night in the south coast city of Bushehr's
cultural centre left a number of people wounded and police had to intervene
to evacuate the deputies to safety, it said.
The attackers, who also beat participants with brass knuckles, launched
the assault after a member of the audience protested at Bushehr MP Rajabali
Mazroui's response to a question on Iran's political situation, it said.
Public appearances of pro-reform political and cultural figures have
been increasingly disrupted by protests and violence.
Last week a dissident nationalist, Ezzatollah Sahabi, was blocked by
hardliners from taking part in a political gathering in the southwest of
the country.
In August, a mob stormed the airport in the provincial capital of Khoramabad
to block two prominent critics of the clerical regime from addressing the
annual conference of a leading pro-reform student group.
The incident set off days of rioting and clashes that left one policeman
dead and dozens of police officers and students wounded.
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