Iranian Parliament Calls for Global Support for Occupy Wall Street Protests

Chairperson of the Iranian Parliament’s Human Rights Committee asked the world community to defend the Occupy Wall Street movement against the US police growing clampdown on the American people.

Speaking to FNA, Zohreh Elahian said nationwide protests in the US display that the wrong and aggressive policies of the US have not only caused hatred of the world nations, but also angered the American nation.

“The American nation has rattled the foundations of the Black (White) House through its uprising and as it is seen in the massive suppression and arrest of Occupy Wall Street protesters, it displayed how the US leaders trample upon their citizens’ rights despite their long chanted slogans,” she added.

She further reiterated that Washington is not entitled to show a violent approach towards protestors in New York and other American cities, and urged the global community to demand freedom of those arrested so far.

“The Human Rights Committee of the Islamic Consultative Assembly invites the world community and international bodies to defend the American nation’s basic rights against the Black House’s hostile policies and massive arrest and suppression of Wall Street protestors,” the lawmaker said.

Her remarks come as NY police continues to crack down on protesters.

On Friday, dozens of people, including religious leaders, were arrested in New York as anti-capitalism ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement is growing throughout the US.

Anti-capitalism protests are ending their fifth week now, with police adopting an increasingly harsh approach to the demonstrators.

More than 30 protesters, including Princeton professor and veteran civil rights activist Cornel West, were arrested during a demonstration by the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York.

“About 32 activists were arrested for demonstrating peacefully,” RT’s Lucy Kafanov reported from New York, “and several religious leaders were also taken away.”

Also among those arrested was Carl Dix, a national spokesman for the Revolutionary Communist Party, as well as several local religious leaders, including several members of the ministry.

New York police widely use the practice known as stop-and-frisk, in which officers randomly stop people on the street and sometimes frisk them to determine whether they are carrying arms.

This practice has been criticized by civil rights groups. Several hundred people were demonstrating in Harlem over the controversial police practice. Opponents say the stop-and-frisk policy unfairly targets black and Latino New Yorkers.

The number of protesters continues to grow, Lucy Kafanov reported. She said it seems “the officials do not feel like they can control the movement.”