Video shows security forces firing tear gas at protesters as Iran crackdown kills dozens

Protesters in Iran defied authorities Tuesday, hitting the streets in the capital, Tehran, and smaller cities to chant anti-government slogans amid an ongoing violent crackdown that one human rights group says has left at least 36 dead

Protesters in Iran defied authorities Tuesday, hitting the streets in the capital, Tehran, and smaller cities to chant anti-government slogans amid an ongoing violent crackdown that one human rights group says has left at least 36 dead.

The protests began last week with economic grievances as the Iranian currency, the rial, tanked. They quickly turned political, with demonstrators chanting slogans against the ruling clergy.

The rial dropped to a record low of 1.46 million against the dollar Tuesday. If it continues to drop, it is unlikely that the protests will stop anytime soon, analysts say.

HRANA, a network of rights activists, noted in a report Tuesday that 36 people have been killed since the demonstrations began 10 days ago — 34 protesters and two members of the security forces — and that more than 2,000 people have been arrested.

Dramatic videos posted on social media and verified by NBC News show security forces firing tear gas at Tehran’s main bazaar Tuesday as protesters scramble for cover into passageways and narrow streets. Gunshots can be heard in some videos, and protesters can also be heard chanting slogans directly against the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in the Islamic Republic.