Defiance: Protesters clash with Iranian police

Clashes between protesters and Iranian security forces heightened today as police reportedly beat protesters and fired tear gas and water cannons at thousands who rallied in defiance of Iran's Islamist government.

Unconfirmed reports put the death toll as high as 150 on the seventh day of post-election protests. Sources at one Tehran hospital confirmed 19 deaths Saturday, according to CNN.

Foreign journalists in Tehran, meanwhile, have been banned from reporting from the streets or attending mass rallies the past few days, prompting news agencies to appeal to Iranians to pass on information.

"Some reports could not be independently confirmed. Foreign news organizations – including the BBC – have been subjected to strict controls which prevent reporters from leaving their offices," read an online news report from the BBC.

The British network, along with other agencies like the Associated Press and the AFP, appealed to those on the streets in Tehran to pass along information and documentation, like photos and video.

The restrictions on the press have been in place since violent protests erupted following the announcement eight days ago of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election.

"If three days from now no journalists are able to testify on what is happening in Iran, it will pave the way for all sorts of abuses," warned Jean-Francois Julliard, secretary general of the Reporters Without Borders organization.

Julliard's group confirming at least 12 journalists have been arrested since last week. His organization staged a rally last week outside the Iranian embassy in France to demand and end to all media clampdowns in Iran.