Tuesday September 18 7:30 PM ET
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI,
Associated Press Writer
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Vigilantes broke up a
candlelit vigil for the terror victims in America on Tuesday, kicking and
arresting people gathered in sympathy for those who perished in New York and
Washington.
Onlookers said the vigilantes waded into the
crowd of 4,000 mostly young men and women in Madar Square in Tehran, pulled out
more than 10 people and handed them over to uniformed police, who looked on
without interfering.
``We were beaten up by vigilantes, but still
it was worth expressing sympathy for the victims of the terrorist attacks in
America,'' student Shokufeh Sadeqi, still holding a lit candle, told The
Associated Press.
``We are here tonight to tell the American
people that 'we are with you,''' said 20-year-old Mehrdad Hasani.
The crowd marched through the square shouting ``America, condolences'' and ``Death to terrorists,'' when the attackers struck. The vigilantes seemingly operate outside Iranian law and against opponents of the country's hard-line Islamic leaders who hold most of the power. ….