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Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2990786.stm
Who are Iran's Islamic Vigilantes?
(BBC News)- During the fourth night of protests in the capital Tehran, armed plain-clothes groups raided university hostels, injuring a number of students. Conservatives in the Iranian leadership for many years have been using hardline Islamic groups as one of the most effective tools to suppress any challenge to their rule. They normally arrive on motorcycles, wielding knives, chains, and clubs, attacking their opponents viciously. It is widely believed that the vigilantes are paid and organized by people close to Ayatollah Khamenei. The hardline authorities often portray these militia forces as the true representatives of the Iranian people, but most Iranians regard them as young thugs.