Iran shuts bazaar
October 3, 2012
The main bazaar in the Iranian capital, Tehran, was forcibly closed on Wednesday as authorities scrambled to stop Iran's currency from falling further after it had already tumbled to a record low.
Hundreds of police entered the currency exchange district of Ferdowsi, arresting unlicensed money changers and ordering licenced bureaux and shops to close, witnesses told AFP.
Riot police clashed with protesters and used tear gas to disperse demonstrators, according to witnesses.
Iran's Mehr news agency also reported that the bazaar had been forced to cease its activities on Wednesday for security reasons. The news outlet's report quoted a bazaar official, Ahmad Karimi Isfahani, as insisting that merchants had not protested against the closure of the area, contrary to reports.
The rial climbed to 34,500 against the US dollar on Tuesday (unofficial street trading rate). That is more than three times the figure from two years ago.
sej/tj (AFP, AP)