Iranian government tells citizens to avoid 'illegal gatherings'

The Iranian government has told people to avoid "illegal gatherings" in the wake of two days of angry anti-establishment protests over corruption and living standards in the country.

Despite scores of arrests, several small groups continued demonstrations in Tehran and elsewhere. Interior Minister Abdolrahman Rahmani Fazli urged people "not to participate in these illegal gatherings".

"We urge all those who receive these calls to protest not to participate in these illegal gatherings as they will create problems for themselves and other citizens," he was quoted as saying by the semi-official ISNA news agency.

"People who want to hold a rally must file a request... The Interior Ministry and the provincial governor's office will review it," Fazli said.

The Iranian authorities blamed "anti-revolutionaries" and "agents of foreign powers" for the outbreak of anti-establishment protest.

In the US, the Trump administration warned Iran overnight that "the world was watching" its response, the BBC reported.

In videos on the social media, demonstrators were seen shouting slogans demanding Iran's supreme leader and the clerical regime go.

The protests started in the north-eastern city of Mashhad -- the country's second most-populous -- on Thursday.

People there took to the streets to express anger at the government over high prices and vented their fury against President Hassan Rouhani.

Fifty-two people were arrested for chanting "harsh slogans". The protests spread to at least half a dozen cities on Friday. In some cities police in riot gear and on motorbikes clashed with demonstrators.

Some protests developed into broader demonstrations against the authorities, calling for the release of political prisoners and an end to police beatings. It was the biggest display of public dissent since huge pro-reform rallies in 2009.

Meanwhile, thousands of pro-government demonstrators attended rallies on Saturday. These official rallies were organised in advance of the anti-government protests, to mark the eighth anniversary of the suppression of major street protests.

--IANS

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