Iranian security forces stepped up their crackdown on Kurdish regions of the country overnight.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comIran deployed members of the Basij militia, troops which have been at the forefront of repressing popular unrest for decades, in Kurdish areas where seven people were killed in protests overnight.
"A few days ago some Basij members from Sanandaj and Baneh refused to follow orders and shoot the people," said the witness. Activists on social media have called for protests on Friday in Khuzestan province, home to most of Iran's Arabs.Although the latest protests have persisted for weeks, the Iranian authorities have experience of quelling much longer bouts of unrest. In 2009, nationwide demonstrations that erupted over a disputed election lasted for about six months before finally being brought under control.
In the Kurdish town of Marivan, a young protester said people were setting fires on streets every night to try and keep riot police from entering their neighbourhoods.
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