Iranian riot police and other security forces cracked down on protesters involved in a so-called "illegal rally" on Wednesday, firing tear gas and bullets in the air at a demonstration near the parliament building in Tehran.
Protesters who gathered near the Iranian parliament were beaten back with batons, causing some to flee to another Tehran plaza, Sepah Square, about two kilometers north.
Riot police tried to choke off access to the entire area where protesters were gathering, hoping to prevent even momentary gatherings. One witness told The Associated Press that hundreds of police were involved.
It is believed that thousands more security officers patrolled nearby streets.
The state-run Press TV said police dispersed the "illegal rally" of 200 people gathered near the parliament.
"A heavy presence of the police prevented violence in the area," it said.
A 53-year-old woman told The Associated Press that both police and member of Iran's volunteer militia corps stopped her and others from entering the square.
Because Iran has ordered that foreign journalists stay in their offices, it has become nearly impossible to verify accounts of demonstrations and clashes on Iranian streets.
Despite the police pressure, protesters continued to demonstrate in support of reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, who claims to be the true winner of the June 12 election.
His website indicated that protesters planned to gather outside parliament Wednesday, though it claimed that the demonstration had not been organized by Mousavi himself.
His wife, Zahra Rahnavard, wrote on another one of Mousavi's websites that his supporters had the right to protest if they chose to do so.
And she called out the government for acting "as if martial law has been imposed in the streets."
Mousavi's supporters have been protesting since the results of the June 12 election reported that incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been the victor.
Mousavi immediately suggested that the vote had been rigged, a position that has been backed by Western analysts who believe there are indications of voting manipulation.
But Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not been swayed by the protesters and on Wednesday refused to bow to their demands.
"On the current situation, I was insisting and will insist on implementation of the law. That means, we will not go one step beyond the law," Khamenei said on state television. "For sure, neither the system nor the people will yield to pressure at any price."
On Wednesday, state TV also reported that another Ahmadinejad opponent, conservative candidate Mohsen Rezaie, said he would withdraw his voter fraud complaints for the sake of the country.
Rezaie's withdrawal of his complaint put Ahmadinejad one step closer to being formally named as the winner of the election. State TV said the hardline incumbent would be sworn in by August 19.
The repeated clashes with police during the protests have resulted in a number of deaths, with state media claiming that 17 people have been killed since the election. Ten protesters were shot during a large demonstration on Saturday.
Dozens of protesters and journalists have also been detained.
International audiences were appalled by the amateur footage that leaked out of Iran, showing the image of a 27-year-old woman bleeding to death after being shot during a recent protest in Tehran.
On Wednesday, the leftovers of a vigil for the victim, later identified as Neda Agha Soltan, remained on a street corner in central Tehran from the night before.
Amnesty International called for Iranian authorities to give detained protesters access to their families and legal representatives, as well as any treatment they might need.
"Anyone detained solely for their peaceful expression of their views regarding the outcome of the election should be released immediately and unconditionally," the organization said Wednesday.
Images of detained demonstrators with blurred-out faces were shown on state TV Wednesday, with some offering "confessions" about their activities in recent days.
Some of those who appeared on TV claimed they had been incited by the British Broadcasting Corp. and the Voice of America to demonstrate. They said it was protesters who were acting violently, not Iranian police.
"We torched public property, threw stones, attacked cars and smashed windows," said one unidentified woman shown on TV.
With files from The Associated Press
