MID: Mousavi supporters hold rally in Tehran: Press TV
17 Jun 2009 1:30 AM
TEHRAN, June 16 AFP - Supporters of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi staged a mass rally in Tehran on Tuesday, the state-run English-language Press TV said.
Its correspondent Homa Lezgi was quoted on its website saying the rally being held at Vanak Square had turned into a "massive" one but did not give any estimate of the size of the crowd.
At the time of the rally, the cellular phone network was cut in Tehran.
Earlier, state television showed massive crowds gathering at a rival rally called in support of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
AFP could not reach the site of the demonstrations as Iran has banned journalists working for foreign media from covering "unauthorised" gatherings or those not organised with culture ministry permission.
Lezgi said Mousavi supporters initially had gathered at the site of the rival rally, but later moved to Vanak Square.
She added that the demonstrators, who were carrying green banners of the Mousavi campaign, were calm, as their chosen candidate had requested earlier through a statement on his campaign website.
"Some people in yesterday's march talked about a march today... This headquarters calls on people to avoid the trap of planned clashes," Mousavi's campaign office said.
On Monday, Mousavi's supporters held a massive rally with hundreds of thousands of supporters. However, after the rally ended seven people were killed and several wounded when a military post was attacked near the rally, state radio announced.
