Dubai bans Iran protests

Iranian protesters in Dubai are ordered to disperse and warned that further demonstrations are banned.

DUBAI // Iranian protesters were this morning ordered to disperse on the fifth day of demonstrations outside the Iranian consulate. Protesters were granted permission by the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday to continue demonstrations until 7pm today. However, the 70 protesters who congregated outside the consulate this morning were refused the right to stand opposite the consulate building by members of the Dubai police and the CID. "They had their chance [to protest] for the last four days," said Capt Ahmad al Mirri, from the national security apparatus of Dubai. "They have delivered their message to the Iranian government." "They are not allowed to protest anymore," he added, saying that they had orders to stop any future protests, received from high-level officials. Protesters said they had been granted the permission to continue protesting on Thursday. "I personally signed the paper from the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday, and it said we had three days," said Sarvenaz Hashtroudi, one of the protesters who has been attending each demonstration since they began on Sunday. "We were not allowed to keep the paper, but they promised us, and shook our hands, saying we could do this." "Now they are saying we are not allowed," she added. [e-mail]