Anti-government protestors fill streets in Iran on national student day

In Iran today, thousands of students and opposition supporters defied government warnings of a crackdown and protested in cities across the country, including Tehran, Shiraz, Kerman, and Masshad. Under overcast skies, many wore green - the color of the opposition movement - and masks over their faces. Riot police, Revolutionary guards and paramilitary troops attacked protesters with tear gas, clubs, and stun guns, according to witnesses - many of whom spoke to media outlets via cell phone. Demonstrators shouted "Allahu akbar!" -- God is great -- and "Death to the dictator!"

Today is National Student Day, an annual protest commemorating the deaths of three students who were killed by security forces in 1953 while demonstrating against a US-backed coup that overthrew the democratically elected government. For many decades, the government sanctioned the protests - until recently when they've been used to express dissent against the ruling government. This year is no exception and many are still emboldened by the controversial election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last June and the government's violent response, which resulted in dozens of deaths and hundreds more detained. In advance of today's protests, the government cut some internet service, blocked some websites and required foreign journalists to stay in their offices. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi encouraged people to demonstrate.

More protests are planned later this month, during the Shiite festival called Ashura.
Meanwhile, violent protests continued for a second day in Greece. People there were marking one year since the killing of a 15-year old by police. Several thousand youth demonstrated today, and a smaller group of several dozen teens set off firebombs, threw rocks at riot police and smashed storefront windows. According to the Guardian UK, protesters beat a passer-by unconscious. During yesterday's protests, five demonstrators and 16 police officers were injured. About 180 were detained.