TEHRAN Iran police refuted on Wednesday a news item published by a number of dailies over stealing gold from shops in the northwestern city of Urumieh, scene of a recent four-day visit by President Mohammad Khatami, while he was delivering a speech.
"In the wake of the president's visit to Urumieh, several thugs and villains disturbed the people to draw their anger, but police intervened to disperse them," a police statement reached IRNA read.
It further said that the rioters had smashed two gold shops and pelted two buses by stones which were dealt with by police, adding that no shoplifting has been confirmed.
The daily Resalat reported on Tuesday that more than 100 rioters smashed buses and robbed shopkeepers with knives during Khatami's speech chanting "Freedom! Freedom!" and berating shop owners for not closing down to attend Khatami's speech on Saturday, gangs destroyed vehicles, and then broke into and robbed the city's gold bazaar.
The paper said some seven kilos of gold were taken by robbers who threatened merchants with knives and left two people wounded.
The paper quoted witnesses as saying that some in the mob had angrily demanded to know why the shops remained open while khatami was in town to deliver a speech during his short period of stay.
Khatami's critics have tried to attribute the unrest to his supporters who gave him a landslide victory in May 1997.
Earlier also, the West Azarbaijan Governor General Seyed Mahmoud Mirlohi also regretted over the publication of the news by some newspapers.
Such dailies had insulted the people of Urumieh, he said, adding that they could cover a warm and rapturous welcome instead of daydreaming.
(IRNA)