Voicing their protests at electoral fraud and rigging and using the cancellation of election results in Gachsaran as a pretext, a group of people in the city of Dogonbadan - the administrative center of Gachsaran county - gathered outside the governor's office and government departments. Clashes broke out between State Security Forces agents and protesters. The confrontation spread rapidly and within a short time, some 7,000 residents were demonstrating and confronting the Revolutionary Guards and SSF agents. Protesters threw stones, sticks and bottles at government buildings, including the governor's office and the headquarters of the so-called Islamic Propaganda Organization. Young people set fire to dozens of tires across the city to confront the mullahs' suppressive forces. The crowd chanted slogans against the clerical regime. Dozens of demonstrators were injured or arrested in these clashes, which went on for hours.
A large crowd again gathered outside the governor's office on Saturday morning to stage a protest demonstration. Having brought in reinforcements from nearby cities, the authorities had stationed numerous Revolutionary Guards and other suppressive agents around key government installations. The atmosphere in the city was reported to be very tense.
In the town of Basht near Dogonbadan, widespread protests and demonstrations have been shaking up the town since Thursday afternoon. On Saturday morning, more than 1,000 residents gathered outside the main government building, chanting slogans and preventing anyone from leaving or entering the offices. The protest was still going on when this report was being dispatched from the scene on Saturday afternoon.
Secretariat of the National Council Resistance of Iran
March 11, 2000
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