- Title: FRANCE: Iranian community in France marks 10th anniversary of student uprising
- Date: 10th July 2009
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 9, 2009) (REUTERS) IRANIAN PROTESTERS IN FRONT OF THE EIFFEL TOWER PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER AND FLAGS AND CHANTING SLOGANS WOMEN SITTING, HOLDING BANNERS MAN CHANTING SLOGANS PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNERS READING (in French): "The message of the Iranian people's uprising to the EU - Stop compliance with the mullahs, respect the Iranian will for democracy" CLOSEUP OF WOMAN HOLDING FLAG PROTESTERS CHANTING BANNER READING (in French): "Long live the student uprising of 1999" (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALADIN TOURAN, SPOKESPERSON FOR THE DEMONSTRATION, SAYING: "After ten years we are having another uprising in the country where people have no illusions about the nature of the regime nor about all of the different trends which make that regime. So they are asking for the downfall of the regime. They ask for regime change. People want democracy, liberty and we are here to support those aims, which is democracy for the Iranian people and liberty." BANNER AND PHOTOGRAPH OF THE POST-ELECTION UNREST IN IRAN / PROTESTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALADIN TOURAN, SPOKESPERSON FOR THE DEMONSTRATION, SAYING: "About the French student or teacher who was arrested, we only can condemn this sort of "chantage" (blackmail) which the mullahs' regime refers to at any time they need to do that. They have to fear - and we only can condemn this sort of "chantage" by this regime - which is not the first time and they do refer to it any time they are in trouble." PHOTOS OF IRAN UNREST, ROSES PHOTOS DISPLAYED, IRAN FLAGS, PROTESTERS
- Embargoed: 25th July 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Education
- Reuters ID: LVAA1Q6M07B7JZTC5X5R7JJ0GAA3
- Story Text: Members of the Iranian community gathered in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris on Thursday (July 9) to protest against recent events in Iran as well as to mark the tenth anniversary of the student uprising there.
Some 50 Iranians demonstrated at the "square for human rights", at the Trocadero, waving banners and flags while chanting slogans in French and Farsi including "Peace and liberty in Iran" and "Down with dictatorship".
The Paris demonstration also voiced opposition to the results of the June 12 election in Iran.
Demonstration organiser Aladin Touran drew parallels between Iran's past and present.
"After ten years we are having another uprising in the country where people have no illusions about the nature of the regime nor about all of the different trends which make that regime. So they are asking for the downfall of the regime. They ask for regime change. People want democracy, liberty and we are here to support those aims," he said.
Similar demonstrations marking the anniversary were held across 27 cities around the world, including Tehran where security forces last month quelled days of protests over the disputed results of the June 12 election.
Photographs depicting last month's unrest were also on display at Trocadero Square.
Demonstrators also condemned the arrest of French citizen Clotilde Reiss.
The 23-year-old was preparing to return home after spending five months as a French language teaching assistant at the University of Isfahan when she was arrested on spying charges on July 1.
"About the French student or teacher who was arrested, we only can condemn this sort of "chantage" (blackmail) which the mullahs' regime refers to at any time they need to do that," Touran said.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner have both called for Reiss's immediate release by Iran. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
