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Tehran, Feb. 15 – The governor of Mahabad
(northwest Iranian Kurdistan province) tried to
restrain public anger, admitting to serious
interruptions in gas, power, and water services,
amidst clashes between people and State Security
Forces.
Seyed Marouf Samadi, speaking to a state-run news
agency, ILNA, said "Under normal circumstances gas
pressure in Mahabad is between 150 to 200 pounds,
but unfortunately it is now measuring at between 0
to 20 pounds".
Samadi claimed that 200 people had gathered outside
his office in protest to the interruptions.
According to local residents however, thousands of
people stormed the streets of Mahabad on Sunday,
clashing with agents of the SSF.
Temperatures in Mahabad have reportedly dropped to
as low 15 degrees below freezing over the past few
days.
Protestors gathered outside the governor's office,
complaining that there was extreme shortage of bread
during the period, as residents were faced with
extreme freezing conditions.
They said that bakeries could not provide them with
bread during the energy blackout. Residents
complained that the price of bread on the
black-market had increased to 2,000 rials.
Household gas was cut off in the town for more than
four days in the past week, electricity was out for
more than 24 hours, and water was repeatedly cut off
for several hours at a time, they said.
The demonstration quickly turned into a mass rally
and youths set fire to banners and poster
celebrating the 26th anniversary of the revolution
that toppled the monarchy and brought to power
Iran's clerics, eye-witnesses reported.
Hundreds of SSF agents, plainclothes police, and
members of the Bassij (Iran's paramilitary police)
attacked the demonstrators with clubs and batons,
arresting at least 10 individuals, as residents
shouted antigovernment slogans.
Eye-witnesses reported that a number of plainclothes
policemen were injured during the ensuing clashes.
Samadi said "All schools have been shut down, and we
are planning to replace gas heaters with oil
heaters".
No date has been set for when the change will occur.
http://www.iranfocus.com
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