Blair: Iranian Student Protests Deserve Support
June 23, 2003
AFP
IranMania
LONDON -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday said that student anti-regime demonstrations in Iran "deserve our support."
"I think people who are fighting for freedom everywhere deserve our support, yes," Blair said in answer to a question from an MP in the House of Commons.
"The exact nature of our support we are able to give, that is a different question. But I think that those people in whavever part of the world who try to have basic human rights and civil liberties deserve support all over," the British leader continued.
His comments echoed those made last week by US President George W. Bush, whom Blair supported during the war against Iraq earlier this year.
A small student demonstration over government education policy in Tehran on June 10 has spiralled into nearly two weeks of unrest throughout the country, marked by virulent anti-regime protests and clashes between protestors and security forces or vigilantes.
Scores of people have been seriously injured and hundreds arrested during the unrest, blamed by clerical leaders on the United States. Latest protests have largely fizzled out following a police crackdown.
The US has made no secret of approving of the demonstrations, while denying any direct involvement.
On Wednesday, Bush said of the unrest: "This is the beginnings of people expressing themselves toward a free Iran which I think is positive."
"I think that freedom is a powerful incentive, and I believe that someday, that freedom will prevail everywhere because freedom is a powerful drive for people," he told reporters.
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We keep hearing that the demonstrations have fizzeled out, is that true, or have they just gone underground?
I'm amazed at the article about the journalists being imprisoned. You would think the media would be going nuts over that.