On the second day of a gathering in support of Gonabadi dervishes in front of the Tehran Prosecutor’s office, security forces had a violent confrontation with protesters.

Majzooban-e Noor reports that since none of protesters’ request had been addressed on the first day — namely, the return of exiled prisoners from Rejaishahr Prison and the provision of hospital or clinic care to sick dervishes — the families of jailed dervishes returned to the Prosecutor’s Office on March 9.

The report indicates that the security forces tried to disperse the crowd by arresting a number of people and confronting people with violence.

Yesterday, the prosecutor’s office had promised protesters that it would address their requests by the following morning. The report indicates that a separate gathering at the Bazaar in support of the dervishes was also broken up and 50 people were arrested.

Another 20 people were arrested in the gathering in front of the prosecutor’s office and transferred to Evin Prison, according to the Majzooban-e Noor website.

The website also reports that its servers were attacked today.

The 10 dervishes on hunger strike had announced that they would intensify their hunger strike by beginning to refuse water on March 9. Yesterday, 2,000 people gathered at the Prosecutor’s office to express solidarity with the dervishes suffering in Iranian prisons. The streets leading to the prosecutor’s office are now blocked by anti-riot police and equipment.