Iranians stage pro-govt rallies after sixth day of protests

LONDON: Thousands of Iranians took part in pro-government rallies in several cities on Wednesday in a state-sponsored show of force after six days of street unrest that has shaken the clerical leadership and left 21 people dead.

State television broadcast live pictures of rallies in the south western cities of Kermanshah and Ilam and in the northern city of Gorgan, where marchers waved Iranian flags and pictures of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the Shi´ite holy city of Qom, demonstrators chanted "death to American mercenaries".

There were also rallies in Isfahan, Iran´s third largest city, and Abadan and Khorramshahr in the oil-rich southwest, state TV footage showed. Marchers voiced support for Khamenei, chanting, "The blood in our veins is a gift to our leader," and, "We will not leave our leader alone.

" They accused the United States, Israel and Britain of inciting the unrest and shouted, "The seditionist rioters should be executed!"The anti-government protests, which erupted last week out of frustration over economic hardship among the youth and working class, have grown into the boldest challenge to the Islamic Republic´s established order in almost a decade.