Obama: Iran Must Stop 'Violent and Unjust Actions'

By VOA News
21 June 2009

President Barack Obama (file)

U.S. President Barack Obama has urged Iran's government to "stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people."

In his strongest response to Iran's post-election unrest, Mr. Obama said the Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. He called on Iran to "govern through consent, not coercion."

Mr. Obama made his comments Saturday, following reports of violent clashes between Iranian authorities and demonstrators in Tehran.

And, in Jerusalem Sunday, Israeli President Shimon Peres praised Iran's pro-reform demonstrators, saying he hopes for an end to Iran's current government.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the U.S. cities of New York, Washington and Los Angeles Saturday to show support for Iran's opposition groups.

In Germany Saturday, more than a thousand people marched in the streets of Hamburg, and some carried signs reading, "Where is my vote?"

Organizers of a demonstration outside Paris, France, said at least 80,000 gathered for that rally Saturday.

The demonstration was organized by Iranian exiles with the National Council of Resistance of Iran. That is an umbrella group for the Iranian People's Mujahedeen Organization, which is listed as a terrorist group by the United States but recently was removed from that designation by the European Union.

Protest organizers called for Iran to embrace a secular democracy.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.