TEHRAN, July 10: Tens of thousands of people defied a huge police deployment on Wednesday night by taking to an area around Tehran University in their cars to mark the fourth anniversary of pro-democracy student riots, but authorities managed to prevent renewed clashes.

Despite a blanket ban on any gatherings, masses of vehicles were seen jammed around Enghelab (revolution) Square and the tense city-centre campus well into the early hours of Thursday.

Hundreds of anti-riot police, decked out in combat fatigues and protective gear, lined the streets, while members of the hardline Basij and Ansar Hezbollah militias — defenders of the nearly 25-year-old Islamic government — whizzed around on motorcycles.

The bumper-to-bumper jam of around 10,000 cars — each carrying on average two people — was accompanied by a deafening cacophony of car horns.

But those who dared to sound their horns while passing rival gatherings of vigilante groups were quickly surrounded and harassed.

The bizarre logjam came despite concerted efforts by the authorities to prevent any further expressions of anger over the country’s seemingly intractable political deadlock between entrenched hardliners and elected reformist MPs loyal to President Khatami.

But in what looked like a well-planned operation, police did at least manage to prevent major clashes by keeping the traffic moving. Islamist vigilantes were also prevented from carrying their favoured sticks and chains, and were stopped by police from attacking their behind-the-wheel rivals.

Only one brief scuffle was reported, although several young people were seen being detained by police.

The Baztab website said 58 people were arrested in Tehran, although around the university hundreds of people were seen milling around on pavements with few problems.—APP/AFP