Iran's police chief Esmail Ahmadi-Moqaddam said on Wednesday that there would be no more tolerance with the anti-government "rioters" and "destructors," the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

People gather for a protest against opposition demonstrations in Teheran, capital of Iran, Dec. 30, 2009. [Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua]

"For sure, there would be no more tolerance with those who participate in such protests and who do destructive and damaging acts (against the government)," Ahmadi-Moqaddam was quoted as saying.

During the annual Ashura commemorations of Shiite Muslims on Sunday, anti-government protestors clashed with the security forces in Tehran. According to local media, eight people were killed in the clashes.

Ahmadi-Moqaddam confirmed that police arrested about 500 protestors in Tehran on Sunday, adding that some other protestors were detained by the intelligent agents.

He said that police were not tough with the protestors on Sunday, and "about 120 policemen were injured and some 60 were hospitalized."

However, Ahmadi-Moqaddam vowed to confront "severely with those who take part in illegal rallies" in the country "from now on," said the report.

On Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of pro-government supporters took to streets across the country to protest against the Sunday "riots" in Tehran.

People gather for a protest against opposition demonstrations in Teheran, capital of Iran, Dec. 30, 2009. [Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua]