Iranian Protests.

[SubGod22]

Iran Clamps Down on Opposition Leaders

TEHRAN, Iran – Dozens of Iranian opposition supporters were reportedly arrested on Monday after participating in a banned rally in Tehran to support popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, according to an Iranian opposition website.

"Witnesses say in some parts of Tehran security forces arrested dozens of protesters," opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi's Kaleme website reported.

Security forces fired tear gas to scatter thousands of opposition supporters marching toward a Tehran square, a witness told Reuters. There were also clashes between police and demonstrators, resulting in dozens of arrests, in Isfahan in central Iran, the country's third largest city, another witness told Reuters.

[SB Shock]

I'm still waiting for Obama to come out and demand the Iranian government to respect and listen to the protesters and make changes.

[SubGod22]

I'm still waiting for Obama to come out and demand the Iranian government to respect and listen to the protesters and make changes.

Pretty sure he lacks the required equipment to do that.

[SubGod22]

Iran Keeps Lights on to Keep Tempers Cool

Iranians, fed up with the high cost of living, are expressing their anger by refusing to pay their electricity bills, even as summer temperatures in the country reach 100 degrees.

Fresh off the Arab spring, the government is keeping the lights and air on for the people, in part, to keep tempers from flaring and protesters off the streets.

Utility prices spiked drastically as a result of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Subsidy Smart Plan, which he announced in January, to dismantle a $100 billion government subsidy system that cost the Iranian government about a quarter of its GDP to stabilize food, fuel and electricity prices. As a result, gasoline prices have spiked by 75 percent and increased utility bills five times to 20 times the average, making basic electricity out of reach for up to 70 percent of Iranian families.

Also on the rise is the cost of food and clothing. A Tehran resident posted online that her two-month bill increased from 800,000 rials (about $80) to 5 million rials ($5,000). “Out of every 10 people you ask, six to eight say they haven’t paid their bills,” a blogger from Tehran wrote.

“The government has promised to make monthly installments possible. But how do you do that for a monthly bill? How can those who can’t pay their gas bill this month pay it in the coming months?”

Apartment complexes frequently have one meter and one bill for the building, prompting unfriendly exchanges between neighbors who say they are conserving and refuse to pay for those who waste.

Yet, circulating news about individuals refusing to pay their bills has emboldened many apartment dwellers who have banded together to collectively refuse to pay the high bills