British, French police clash with protesters at Iranian embassies

Sept. 25 (UPI) -- British police arrested at least 12 people outside the Iranian Embassy in London on Sunday as hundreds gathered to call for an end to the Iranian regime.

The protests in Britain came after the Sept. 13 death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who had been arrested by Iran's so-called morality police called Guidance Patrol, sparked unrest in the country last week.

Demonstrators in Britain chanted "death to the Islamic republic" while angry protesters shouted and pushed police officers guarding Iran's Embassy in Knightsbridge, The Guardian reported.

Police officials said 12 people were arrested for "suspicion of violent disorder" and that five officers were injured during the protests.

"We respect the right of people to protest peacefully and always work with organizers to make that possible, but we will not tolerate unprovoked attacks on our officers as we have seen today or protest that leaves other communities feeling unsafe," Commander Karen Findlay of the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

Authorities said the majority of those we attended the protest outside the embassy were peaceful but a "significant group" among them sought confrontation with police and opposition protesters, requiring officers donning protective equipment t0 be deployed.

Though the disruption began at the embassy, it soon shifted to the nearby Iran-aligned Islamic Center of England where officers defended the building but clashed with protesters who threw masonry, bottles and other projectiles at police, Metropolitan Police said, adding that some of its injured officers incurred broken bones.

"We have already made a number of arrests, but we know there are people who were not caught tonight who committed serious offenses," Findlay said, explaining that in the coming days they will be going over CCTV footage to identify others responsible.

Protests were also reported in Paris where police officers fired teargas at protestors who were marching toward Iran's Embassy in France, The Guardian reported.

In Iran, a fifth member of the hardline government's volunteer paramilitary group died Sunday as clashes continued, CNN reported while citing Iran's state media.

The Basij volunteer soldier died in the city of Urmia from injuries they sustained Thursday at the hands of "rioters and thugs," Iranian state media reported.

Meanwhile, at least 35 people have died in the recent protests in Tehran and across the nation as security forces cracked down on the demonstrations.

Iran's state media said that 1,200 people have been arrested while the Committee to Protect Journalists, a non-profit organization that monitors press freedom, said that 17 of those arrested have been journalists.