Cemetery Dispute Leads to Riot in Southern Iran

Iran Focus:

More than 1,000 residents of an Iranian village in the suburbs of the city of Shiraz yesterday took part in anti-government demonstrations, setting fires to tyres and blockading roads in the area.

Residents in Darivan put rocks in the main route 35 kilometres from Shiraz to the town of Kharameh, blocking all traffic for more than five hours.

Protests erupted after authorities refused to cancel their plan to construct a cemetery on farmers’ lands. Residents said that they had previously consulted authorities in Shiraz about the cemetery construction, but their efforts were to no avail.

A statement was issued throughout the area days before the protest which called on local residents to attend the event. Despite the presence of security forces at the scene, protesters chanted a number of anti-government slogans.