Rights groups say security forces have unleashed live ammunition and bird shot on the protesters, as well as beating and arresting them, with much of the violence captured on video. At least 452 protesters have been killed and more than 18,000 detained since the start of the unrest, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has been monitoring the protests. Authorities have blamed the unrest on hostile foreign powers, without providing evidence. The judiciary says it has released more than 1,000 detainees in recent days. The protesters say they are fed up after decades of social and political repression, including a strict dress code imposed on women.
