In the city of Marand today, May 25, people poured into the streets in support of the demonstrations in Tabriz and Orumieh in pervious days where they were met by the SSF units.

In Orumieh, the suppressive forces opened fire into the crowd, wounding three of the participants seriously and arresting at least 15 other demonstrators and took them to an unknown location.

On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of Payam-e Nour University students in Ardabil gathered and demanded firm action against the cartoonist of state run Iran newspaper.

In a press conference, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Iran's Interior Minister, expressed concern over growing unrest in East and West Azerbaijan provinces and said, "Of course, some in the midst of all this want to take advantage of the situation. They are waiting in the wings on the border waiting to see what would happen in the country and engage in propaganda in their satellites and sites, calling for the gatherings."

Deputy Interior Minister on security affairs admitted, "What is happening in Tabriz is far more than a mere protest to an insult by a newspaper"

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