TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - "(P)olice and pro-government Basiji militiamen fired tear gas and charges thousands of protesters who chanted 'death to the dictator' and called on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to resign. Dozens were arrested, piled in trucks and taken away, witnesses said.Iran's rightful ruler is sitting in the audience. The government conducted these elections and have a contract with their people to abide by it's outcome. There was a coup in Iran on election day, and the losers now run the country. Those in the street are demanding only what is theirs.
Plainclothes Basijis stood in front of a line of riot police and pumped canisters of tear gas, which young protesters with green bandanas over their faces kicked away across the pavement, away from the crowds. Some set a bonfire in the street and waved their hands in the air in victory signs.
The opposition aimed to turn the Friday prayers at Tehran University into a show of their continued strength despite heavy government suppression since the disputed June 12 presidential election.
Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who claims to have won the election, sat in the front row of worshippers, attending for the first time since the turmoil began. Many of the tens of thousands at the prayers wore headbands or wristbands in his campaign color green, or had green prayer rugs.
In his sermon broadcast live on radio nationwide, Rafsanjani reprimanded the clerical leadership for not listening to people's complaints over the election, which was declared a victory for Ahmadinejad despite opposition claims of fraud.
'Doubt has been created (about the election results),' Rafsanjani said. 'There is a large portion of the wise people who say they have doubts. We need to take action to remove this doubt.' "
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