Iran’s police confirm detention of ’several’ people after Friday protests

September 24th, 2009 Pittsburgh police: Nearly 20 arrested in protestsPITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh officials say nearly 20 people protesting the Group of 20 summit were arrested during a chaotic march outside downtown. Police fired canisters of pepper spray and smoke at marchers after anarchists responded to calls to disperse by rolling trash bins, throwing rocks and breaking windows.

September 20th, 2009 Beijing students protest teacher's detentionBEIJING — Nearly a hundred university students gathered outside a Beijing district police bureau Sunday to demand the release of a lecturer — a former leader of 1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy demonstrations — who they believe is being held unfairly by authorities. It was the second day that students turned up at the public security bureau in the capital's Haidian district to call on police to release Ding Xiaoping, who lectures on various topics at several universities, said Yu Zhiwei, who joined the students Sunday.

August 13th, 2009 Basque separatist protests banned in SpainMADRID — Spanish and Basque authorities have banned three protests marches called by groups linked to the armed group ETA in the northern cities Bilbao and San Sebastian. National Court Judge Baltasar Garzon has prohibited two protests in support of ETA prisoners planned for Friday and Saturday in San Sebastian saying they constituted defense of terrorism.

July 29th, 2009 Detention for Mexican suspect in US border slayingTIJUANA, Mexico — A judge in Mexico has ordered that a man suspected in the fatal shooting of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in California be held during the investigation.

July 20th, 2009 Iran's top leader reportedly warns politiciansTEHRAN, Iran — State radio says Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has told politicians to be careful in their stances on the country's postelection unrest, saying that disturbing security is "the biggest vice." Khamenei's comments appear aimed at warning opposition politicians against making any moves that would encourage further protests like the ones that shook the country following the disputed presidential election on June 12. Khamenei also says foreign enemies supported the unrest by broadcasting "procedures for rioting" through their media, according to Monday's state media report.

July 7th, 2009 Report criticizes police handling of G-20 protestsLONDON — A report into how British police handled April protests against the G-20 summit in London said Tuesday the force's tactics were inadequate and should be reviewed. The report by a government-backed watchdog said police had focused too much on tackling violence and not enough on allowing peaceful protest.

July 7th, 2009 Nearly 40 arrested at anti-G8 protests in RomeROME — Police arrested 38 activists Tuesday during clashes at protests in Rome against this week's Group of Eight summit in central Italy. At one impromptu demonstration early in the day, protesters with covered faces and helmets blocked roads and set fire to garbage bins and tires near one of the capital's universities.

June 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Monday deplored the detention of Iranian staffers at the British embassy in Tehran and called for their release. "We find that the harassment of embassy staff is deplorable, and we will continue to support the United Kingdom in calling for their release," Clinton told reporters.

June 25th, 2009 TEHRAN/HAMBURG - Mehdi Karroubi, who came third in Iran's disputed presidential elections, cancelled a ceremony planned for Thursday to mourn the deaths of those killed during the protests against alleged election fraud, his website said. The moderate former speaker of parliament plans to hold the ceremony next week instead.

June 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The Obama Administration sent a letter to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for an improvement in relations, prior to the June 12 disputed presidential elections, which were followed by massive people protests. Ayatollah Khamenei confirmed the letter toward the end of a lengthy sermon on Friday, in which he accused the United States of fomenting protests in his country in the aftermath of the disputed June 12 presidential election.

June 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama Tuesday accused Iranian officials of making the US a scapegoat in an attempt to distract the people from the debate and protests surrounding the country's presidential elections. Obama told reporters that the United States is "not at all interfering in Iran's affairs" and strongly condemned the beatings and imprisonment of protesters.

June 22nd, 2009 LONDON - Iran's powerful Guardian Council has ruled out changing Iran's presidential election result, but admitted that the vote was flawed. The calls came as the Guardian Council, the body charged with reviewing the contested election, said it had concluded an investigation but would not be overturning the result.

June 22nd, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran's powerful Guardian Council has said there were some irregularities in the June 12 presidential election, which has been widely disputed and triggered bloody street protests. The Guardian Council admitted that the number of votes collected in 50 cities was more than the number of eligible voters, the council's spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei told the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) channel Sunday.

June 12th, 2009 Police fire tear gas in Peru protestsLIMA, Peru — Riot police have fired tear gas to keep protesters away from Peru's Congress as thousands march in favor of Amazon Indians who want it to overturn laws they say threaten their lands. Some 4,000 students, labor unions and other native Peruvians from the country's Andean highlands to its jungle lowlands joined the mostly peaceful nationwide protests.

May 8th, 2009 Georgian officials to hold talks with oppositionTBILISI, Georgia — Georgian officials are ready to meet with opposition leaders to discuss their demands, the parliamentary speaker said Friday after monthlong anti-government protests turned to violent clashes this week. Speaker David Bakradze welcomed opposition leader Irakly Alasania's statement Thursday that the protest leaders were ready to talk with authorities, and said officials were willing to hold talks Friday.