At least two Iranian protesters shot dead by Iran's Revolutionary Guard

At least two Iranian protesters shot dead by Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Several Iranian anti-regime protesters have been shot dead by the country's notorious Revolutionary Guard force, as demonstrations against the government continue.
2 min read
30 December, 2017
Deadly violence erupts as anti-government protests enter their fourth day [Getty]
At least two Iranian protesters have been killed and others injured after the country's notorious Revolutionary Guard force opened fire on protesters during night-time anti-government protests in Douroud, central Iran. 

Opposition websites posted video footage of the protestors, in which demonstrators carried the bodies of the killed and injured, while they chanted "death to Khamenei".

Another video showed a protestor who had been shot in the chest by the Revolutionary Guard.

Protests are now entering their fourth day, after anti-government rallies broke out across the country on Friday.

Thousands are thought to have taken part in the protests, making them the biggest show of public defiance since 2009, when Iranians, as part of the newly-formed Green Movement, took to the streets to denounce alleged rigged presidential elections by then-President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.

This time around, protests that began in the city of Mashhad on Friday were initially centred around rising living costs, but quickly became focused against the the regime in general, and spread to numerous cities across the country.

On Saturday, the Iranian government issued a warning against any further "illegal gatherings", as well as making attempts at cutting off internet access for mobile phones.

On the same day, tens of thousands of regime supporters took part in pre-planned demonstrations in support of the government.

In Tehran, anti-regime protestors were outnumbered by government allies, who shouted "death to seditionists" as they seized back control of the entrance of the University of Tehran.

The country's powerful Revolutionary Guard - the military wing in charge of protecting the Islamic ruling system - have ruthlessly put down previous shows of public defiance.

During the 2009 uprisings, dozens of anti-government activists were killed and many more imprisoned.