Iran opposition rally

I
ran opposition rallySummary
15 June 2009

The leading opposition contender in Iran's presidential election, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, has cancelled a rally planned for later today. Mr Mousavi has condemned the election result, but President Ahmadinejad insists he was fairly re-elected.

Reporter:
Jon Leyne in Tehran

Tensions are running high in Tehran after two days of clashes
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Report
Just hours before the rally was due to start, the leading opposition candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, announced that the demonstration was cancelled because it had not received official permission. I understand from sources close to Mr Mousavi that he was warned that the police and Basij militia had been given authorisation for the first time to use live rounds if the demonstration went ahead.

A smaller rally is in progress in Tehran University at the moment, being addressed by Mr Mousavi's wife Zahra Rahnavard. She's told students that the rally was cancelled because they were worried that the lives of those attending could be in danger. Reports from her rally indicate that paramilitaries are trying to break it up. Students are taking cover in a mosque.

Jon Leyne, BBC News, Tehran

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Vocabulary
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opposition
here, a political power (e.g. a political party or movement) that speak and/or act against the government in a country
announced
said officially and publicly
received official permission
been allowed to go ahead by the authorities
to use live rounds
to fire real bullets and/or shells that can explode and kill people
rally
a gathering of people (usually organised by a political power)
in progress
taking place
attending
taking part in it
indicate
show, tell, prove
paramilitaries
here, people assisting official military forces
to break it up
to stop it, to force the participants to go

BBC Learning English
Words in the News
15th
June 2009
Iran opposition rally cancelled



Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2009
Page 1 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com



The leading opposition contender in Iran's presidential election, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, has
cancelled a rally planned for later today. Mr Mousavi has condemned the election result, but
President Ahmadinejad insists he was fairly re-elected. From Tehran, Jon Leyne reports:

Just hours before the rally was due to start, the leading opposition candidate, Mir-Hossein
Mousavi, announced that the demonstration was cancelled because it had not received
official permission. I understand from sources close to Mr Mousavi that he was warned that
the police and Basij militia had been given authorisation for the first time to use live rounds
if the demonstration went ahead.

A smaller rally is in progress in Tehran University at the moment, being addressed by Mr
Mousavi's wife Zahra Rahnavard. She's told students that the rally was cancelled because
they were worried that the lives of those attending could be in danger. Reports from her rally
indicate that paramilitaries are trying to break it up. Students are taking cover in a mosque.

Jon Leyne, BBC News, Tehran


Words in the news © British Broadcasting Corporation 2009
Page 2 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com

Vocabulary and definitions

opposition here, a political power (e.g. a political party or movement)
that speak and/or act against the government in a country
announced said officially and publicly
received official permission been allowed to go ahead by the authorities
to use live rounds to fire real bullets and/or shells that can explode and kill
people
rally a gathering of people (usually organised by a political
power)
in progress taking place
attending taking part in it
indicate show, tell, prove
paramilitaries here, people assisting official military forces
to break it up to stop it, to force the participants to go

More on this story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8099952.stm

Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2009/06/090615_witn_iran.shtml