A protest and scuffles with police occurred in central Tehran on Wednesday, October 3, in the first sign of public unrest over Iran’s plunging currency, which this week has lost more than half of its value, Agence France Presse reported. Hundreds of police in anti-riot gear stormed the capital’s currency exchange district of Ferdowsi, arresting illegal money changers and ordering licensed bureaus and other shops closed. Several arrests were seen, carried out by uniformed police or plain-clothes security officers. Smoke was seen in two places in the area. Individuals threw stones at police officers and a police car before running away, witnesses said. A protest in Tehran’s historic Grand Bazaar – a maze-like complex of shops vital to the city – also took place but was quickly put down by police.