At Least Five Dead in Iran Opposition Protests

Violence erupted for a second day in Iran's capital. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets during a religious festival to protest the ruling regime.

Amateur video posted on the Internet shows clashes between opposition supporters and police in Tehran.

One video posted on Twitter shows an injured man lying still on the ground, wearing khaki trousers and a black jacket, surrounded by large crowds.

The video says the man is Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi’s nephew. He was reportedly killed in the clashes.

One Iranian website said the violence was continuing into the night on Sunday (December 27). It said security forces had fired tear gas to disperse protesters.

Police said five people died in Tehran on Sunday, while opposition websites said eight people were killed in Tehran and other cities across Iran.

It was the worst outbreak of violence since June's contested presidential election sparked political turmoil.

On Sunday evening, opposition supporters chanted from balconies and rooftops in northern Tehran, as they did in the months after the election. Shots were heard in the area.

Iranian authorities had warned the opposition against using the two-day Shi'ite Muslim Tasoua and Ashura festival to revive protests against the clerical establishment.

This year's Ashura coincided with the seventh day of mourning for leading dissident cleric Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri. He died a week ago at the age of 87.

Foreign media have been banned from reporting directly from opposition demonstrations since the disputed June presidential election.