| Witnesses said the protests
began with just a few hundred students, but swelled
to more than a thousand as people heard the noise or heeded
calls to participate from US-based
TV channels. For more than four hours the night was filled with
bursts of noise as people set off
firecrackers or sounded the horns from their cars. Eyewitnesses
say the protest turned violent when riot police turned up. Armed
with batons they tried to disperse
the demonstration, beating those that stood in their way.
Many believe last night's protest is the first of many demonstrations
to commemorate the riots in July
1999. Then students clashed violently with police for three days
after a raid on a university dormitory
which left at least one person dead. Last Sunday the supreme leader
Ayatollah Khamenei asked young people to remain calm in the run
up to July the 9th in order to prevent what he described was a
devilish plot to destabilise the country.
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swelled: grew larger
heeded: took notice of
participate: take part in
bursts of noise: loud explosions
of sound
batons: short, heavy sticks
disperse: break up
commemorate: doing something to show that an event is
remembered
dormitory: a large bedroom where
several people sleep
a devilish plot: an evil plan
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