I do not think the basijis were sitting in their bases today watching Shahram Homayoon's channel. lol
Plus a basiji is not going to call up a foreign station saying we are going to kill everyone on the street and by the way please Mr. Homayoon get the people out of the streets. The word fake was screaming at me when I was watching the clip.
Most of the callers to these shows are alaf and looking for soojeh. Sorta like hey I would say anything crazy just to be on the air and get some attention.
Plus a basiji is not going to call up a foreign station saying we are going to kill everyone on the street and by the way please Mr. Homayoon get the people out of the streets. The word fake was screaming at me when I was watching the clip.
Most of the callers to these shows are alaf and looking for soojeh. Sorta like hey I would say anything crazy just to be on the air and get some attention.
Huffington post had the best recap of the day's events:
March, Security Fires Tear Gas
AP/The Huffington Post ALI AKBAR DAREINI
First Posted: 02/14/11 02:16 PM Updated: 02/14/11 06:06 PM
)
The opposition called for a demonstration Monday in solidarity with Egypt's popular revolt that a few days earlier forced the president there to resign after nearly 30 years in office. The rally is the first major show of strength for Iran's cowed opposition in more than a year.
Police used tear gas against the protesters in central Tehran's Enghelab, or Revolution, square and in Imam Hossein square, as well as in other nearby main streets. Demonstrators responded by setting garbage bins on fire to protect themselves from the stinging white clouds.
Eyewitnesses said at least three protesters injured by bullets were taken to a hospital in central Tehran while dozens of others were hospitalized because of severe wounds as a result of being beaten.
"An Iranian dies but doesn't accept humiliation," demonstrators chanted. "Death to the dictator," they said, in a chant directed at hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Security forces on motorcycles could also be seen chasing protesters through the streets, according to eyewitnesses.
Story continues below
The semiofficial Fars news agency called protesters "hypocrites, monarchists, ruffians and seditionists," and ridiculed them for not chanting any slogans about Egypt as they had originally promised.
Fars, which is linked to the Revolutionary Guard, Iran's most powerful military force, said an unspecified number of protesters were arrested and handed over to police and security officials. It didn't elaborate.
Opposition website kaleme.com reported that similar rallies took place in the central city of Isfahan and Shiraz in the south. Security forces used force to disperse them as well.
Foreign media are banned from covering street protests in Iran.
Following the announcements by the opposition that they would attempt to hold a new rally in solidarity with the Egypt uprising, Iran's security forces cut phone lines and blockaded the home of an opposition leader in attempts to stop him attending the planned rally.
Police and militiamen poured onto the streets of Tehran to challenge the marches, which officials worry could turn into demonstrations against Iran's ruling system.
The security clampdown is reminiscent of the backlash that crushed a wave of massive protests after Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in June 2009. But opposition supporters revived a tactic from the unrest, shouting "Allahu Akbar," or God is Great, from rooftops and balconies into the early hours Monday in a sign of defiance toward Iran's leadership.
The reformist website kaleme.com said police stationed several cars in front of the home of Mir Hossein Mousavi ahead of the demonstration called for Monday in central Tehran.
Mousavi and fellow opposition leader Mahdi Karroubi have been under house arrest since last week after they asked the government for permission to hold a rally on Feb. 14 in support of the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
On Sunday, the opposition renewed its call to supporters to rally, and accused the government of hypocrisy by voicing support for the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings while refusing to allow Iranian political activists to stage a peaceful demonstration.
Across central Tehran, riot police, many on motorbikes, fanned out to prevent any demonstration, witnesses said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of fears of reprisals from authorities.
The uprising in Egypt opened a rare chance for the political gambit by Iran's opposition.
Ahmadinejad claimed the Egyptians who toppled President Hosni Mubarak took inspiration from Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, which brought down a Western-backed monarchy. Iran's opposition movement used the comments to push the government into a corner and request permission to march in support of Egypt's protesters.
Iranian officials quickly backpedaled and said no pro-Egypt rallies were allowed - bringing sharp criticism from the White House and others.
Karroubi and Mousavi have compared the unrest in Egypt and Tunisia with their own postelection protest movement. Mousavi said Iran's demonstrations were the starting point but that all the uprisings aimed at ending the "oppression of the rulers."
Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who is on a visit to Iran, urged governments in the Middle East to listen to the demands of their people.
"When leaders and heads of countries do not pay attention to the demands of their nations, the people themselves take action to achieve their demands," IRNA quoted Gul as saying Monday.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians peacefully took to the streets in support of Mousavi after the June 2009 vote, claiming Ahmadinejad was re-elected through massive vote fraud.
A heavy government crackdown suppressed the protests. The opposition has not been able to hold a major protest since December 2009.
The opposition says more than 80 demonstrators were killed in the turmoil. The government, which puts the number of confirmed deaths at 30, accuses opposition leaders of being "stooges of the West" and of seeking to topple the ruling system through street protests.
State TV said Mousavi and Karroubi were carrying out a plot designed by Iran's enemies.
March, Security Fires Tear Gas
AP/The Huffington Post ALI AKBAR DAREINI
First Posted: 02/14/11 02:16 PM Updated: 02/14/11 06:06 PM
)
The opposition called for a demonstration Monday in solidarity with Egypt's popular revolt that a few days earlier forced the president there to resign after nearly 30 years in office. The rally is the first major show of strength for Iran's cowed opposition in more than a year.
Police used tear gas against the protesters in central Tehran's Enghelab, or Revolution, square and in Imam Hossein square, as well as in other nearby main streets. Demonstrators responded by setting garbage bins on fire to protect themselves from the stinging white clouds.
Eyewitnesses said at least three protesters injured by bullets were taken to a hospital in central Tehran while dozens of others were hospitalized because of severe wounds as a result of being beaten.
"An Iranian dies but doesn't accept humiliation," demonstrators chanted. "Death to the dictator," they said, in a chant directed at hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Security forces on motorcycles could also be seen chasing protesters through the streets, according to eyewitnesses.
Story continues below
The semiofficial Fars news agency called protesters "hypocrites, monarchists, ruffians and seditionists," and ridiculed them for not chanting any slogans about Egypt as they had originally promised.
Fars, which is linked to the Revolutionary Guard, Iran's most powerful military force, said an unspecified number of protesters were arrested and handed over to police and security officials. It didn't elaborate.
Opposition website kaleme.com reported that similar rallies took place in the central city of Isfahan and Shiraz in the south. Security forces used force to disperse them as well.
Foreign media are banned from covering street protests in Iran.
Following the announcements by the opposition that they would attempt to hold a new rally in solidarity with the Egypt uprising, Iran's security forces cut phone lines and blockaded the home of an opposition leader in attempts to stop him attending the planned rally.
Police and militiamen poured onto the streets of Tehran to challenge the marches, which officials worry could turn into demonstrations against Iran's ruling system.
The security clampdown is reminiscent of the backlash that crushed a wave of massive protests after Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in June 2009. But opposition supporters revived a tactic from the unrest, shouting "Allahu Akbar," or God is Great, from rooftops and balconies into the early hours Monday in a sign of defiance toward Iran's leadership.
The reformist website kaleme.com said police stationed several cars in front of the home of Mir Hossein Mousavi ahead of the demonstration called for Monday in central Tehran.
Mousavi and fellow opposition leader Mahdi Karroubi have been under house arrest since last week after they asked the government for permission to hold a rally on Feb. 14 in support of the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
On Sunday, the opposition renewed its call to supporters to rally, and accused the government of hypocrisy by voicing support for the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings while refusing to allow Iranian political activists to stage a peaceful demonstration.
Across central Tehran, riot police, many on motorbikes, fanned out to prevent any demonstration, witnesses said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of fears of reprisals from authorities.
The uprising in Egypt opened a rare chance for the political gambit by Iran's opposition.
Ahmadinejad claimed the Egyptians who toppled President Hosni Mubarak took inspiration from Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, which brought down a Western-backed monarchy. Iran's opposition movement used the comments to push the government into a corner and request permission to march in support of Egypt's protesters.
Iranian officials quickly backpedaled and said no pro-Egypt rallies were allowed - bringing sharp criticism from the White House and others.
Karroubi and Mousavi have compared the unrest in Egypt and Tunisia with their own postelection protest movement. Mousavi said Iran's demonstrations were the starting point but that all the uprisings aimed at ending the "oppression of the rulers."
Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who is on a visit to Iran, urged governments in the Middle East to listen to the demands of their people.
"When leaders and heads of countries do not pay attention to the demands of their nations, the people themselves take action to achieve their demands," IRNA quoted Gul as saying Monday.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians peacefully took to the streets in support of Mousavi after the June 2009 vote, claiming Ahmadinejad was re-elected through massive vote fraud.
A heavy government crackdown suppressed the protests. The opposition has not been able to hold a major protest since December 2009.
The opposition says more than 80 demonstrators were killed in the turmoil. The government, which puts the number of confirmed deaths at 30, accuses opposition leaders of being "stooges of the West" and of seeking to topple the ruling system through street protests.
State TV said Mousavi and Karroubi were carrying out a plot designed by Iran's enemies.
89 clips from today:
http://www.youtube.com/results?uplo...pe=videos&suggested_categories=25,22,29&uni=3
http://www.youtube.com/results?uplo...pe=videos&suggested_categories=25,22,29&uni=3
in Egypt people camped out because they could , they had the army protecting them so they were safe for the most part. In Iran when people camp out in Azadi who is going to protect them when the regime sends in thugs who are ready to kill the people? I thought people in Iran should do the same as in Egypt but that's nearly impossible . Plus in Iran we don't have CNN , BBC , and all other major news networks covering the protests live 24/7 , that's a huge difference.
11:45 p.m. A Tehran Bureau special correspondent reports:
We walked down Gharani Avenue from Karim Khan Avenue to reach Ferdowsi Square around 3 p.m. There were only three of us and we made a promise that if others did not show up we would abandon the march altogether. But were we in for a nice surprise. Even before we got to Ferdowsi Square we saw silent groups of people marching randomly with a determination in their eyes.
3:10 pm the guards were everywhere but not like they were in the Ashura demonstrations last year. We reached College Crossway (where Hafez Avenue crosses Enghelab Avenue) and the sidewalks were already filling up with quiet demonstrators without any signs or slogans. By the time we reached Vali Asr Avenue we realized that the tactic of the guards and the militia was to let groups of people go through and then separate them at each crossroad, so we tried to keep together and stay cool.
3:30 pm marked a painful visual landscape for me that I will never forget: the Basijis and the Revolutionary Guards had brought children in the street. They gave them clubs and were directing them for the attack, which happened right at that crossroad. The kids were probably 15 or 16 years old but their eyes were filled with hate. "Good Islamic teaching, right?" I heard an elderly man say in an angry but muffled voice.
I called my family to tell them where I was but the phones went dead around 3:45 and this was when the bikes rolled into the sidewalks and started beating people. I was separated from my friends in Enghelab Square but kept on going. The energy of the people and especially of the women and the elderly was like an electrical charge. I could not feel the beatings anymore and the clubs kept on coming on our heads, shoulders, legs, and knees.
Right at Jamalzadeh crossing, I heard a cheering crowd and realized that a large group of screaming demonstrators pouring south into Azadi Avenue (the continuation of Enghelab Avenue after Enghelab Square toward Azadi Square is called Azadi Avenue). The guards stopped all of the buses in the middle of the boulevard and forced us into the middle of the street. It was déjà vu as we reached Dampezeshki (Animal Husbandry Hospital). This was the same spot I was badly beaten in a June 2009 post-election demonstration. So I kept myself on the extreme right side of the sidewalk. It seems that the Revolutionary Guards were repeating the same tactics again because they rounded up the people in the middle of the street and attacked them the same way they did in 2009. I slipped through the angry-looking guards and plainclothes militia and came across another scene.
When I reached Eskandari Street it looked like a war zone: smoke, dust, teargas, screaming people, flying stones, and regular attacks by the well-equipped motorcycle-riding guards. A petite young girl with a green wristband and a small backpack was walking to my left. Just before we reached Navab Avenue the guards charged from behind, one of their clubs hit my left leg but three of them attacked the girl relentlessly. She screamed and fell to the ground, but the guards kept hitting her. I ran towards them, grabbed the girl's right hand and released her from the grip of the guards. She was in a daze and crying unstoppably. I pushed her north into Navab Avenue towards Tohid Square away from Azadi Avenue when the guards charged towards us. This time the crowd fought back and stones of all sizes were directed back at them. This gave me a bit of time to ask one of the restaurants to open their doors and let us in. The girl was in shock and pain. I got her some water and asked how she was. Her clothes were dusty, her backpack was torn and her hands were shaking. "Why?" she kept asking.
The battle in front of the restaurant raged on. The crowd had only their fists and stones gathered from the sides of the street, but the guards were shooting people in the head with paint guns, and spraying pepper gas and shooting teargas canisters. Then in a moment that I thought I would never see, two guards ran up, sat on one foot and randomly fired plastic bullets into the crowd. We waited until the demonstrators pushed the guards back before leaving the restaurant.
10:30 p.m. From a Tehran Bureau correspondent:
It was amazing today. About 350,000 people showed up. The crowds came from the sidewalks. There was no chanting on the main avenue. The security forces would try to disperse the crowd once in a while by firing tear gas. People would move to the side streets and start bonfires.
It was beyond anything we had expected. They didn't shut off the mobile phones so word spread quickly [that they were not cracking down hard] before they shut them off around 4 p.m.
It seemed like the Basij were ordered not to act until ordered. They just stood around looking bewildered. When the riot police would drive by on their bikes, they just put the fires out.
Rarely did they arrest. I saw ten people arrested; this means probably up to 1,000 were arrested.
I was all over on foot and on the rapid transit buses. The crowds were EVERYWHERE. They were remarkable for their peacefulness. They filled a radius of about half a kilometer to 400 meters on both sides of Enghelab Avenue. It looks like for the first time people from working class areas were involved too.
I left two hours ago but the crowds were still out there. The security presence was large, perhaps 13,000.
There may have been some killings. We saw two people beaten to a pulp. The first [beating was administered] by intel ministry officers, the second by Sepah [the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps]. Overall people worked hard to stop the beatings of the regime forces.
About 200 special forces on bikes drove down on Javan Mard Ghasab, but perhaps they were going back to base [and not necessarily responding to protests there]. Several thousand walked from Imam Hossein Square towards Enghelb Square. This is the first time ever. Imam Hossein Square is working class.
Also at Jayhoon, one kilometer south of Enghelab, there were bonfires burning until 8 p.m. The police had blocked entry of cars westwards at Imam Hossein from 3 to 4 p.m., but people walked on the sidewalks.
I saw some 19 personnel carriers at Vanak Square around 9 p.m, plus 20 special motorbikes. An hour ago, 200 people were standing around Mohseni Square, known as Mother Square, in northern Tehran.
Overall, the security forces were restrained.
From homylafayette: "Compelling evidence that the protests continued into the night (and may still be going on, according to some reports). One of the ways to confirm the date of a video is to listen to the slogans being chanted. This clip features today's favorite phrase: 'Mubarak, Ben Ali, Nobateh Seyyed Ali!' (Seyyed Ali [Khamenei's] turn). One protester screams out, 'This is the rage of the people!' This looks like it was filmed on one of the city's main thoroughfares, Azadi Street."
We walked down Gharani Avenue from Karim Khan Avenue to reach Ferdowsi Square around 3 p.m. There were only three of us and we made a promise that if others did not show up we would abandon the march altogether. But were we in for a nice surprise. Even before we got to Ferdowsi Square we saw silent groups of people marching randomly with a determination in their eyes.
3:10 pm the guards were everywhere but not like they were in the Ashura demonstrations last year. We reached College Crossway (where Hafez Avenue crosses Enghelab Avenue) and the sidewalks were already filling up with quiet demonstrators without any signs or slogans. By the time we reached Vali Asr Avenue we realized that the tactic of the guards and the militia was to let groups of people go through and then separate them at each crossroad, so we tried to keep together and stay cool.
3:30 pm marked a painful visual landscape for me that I will never forget: the Basijis and the Revolutionary Guards had brought children in the street. They gave them clubs and were directing them for the attack, which happened right at that crossroad. The kids were probably 15 or 16 years old but their eyes were filled with hate. "Good Islamic teaching, right?" I heard an elderly man say in an angry but muffled voice.
I called my family to tell them where I was but the phones went dead around 3:45 and this was when the bikes rolled into the sidewalks and started beating people. I was separated from my friends in Enghelab Square but kept on going. The energy of the people and especially of the women and the elderly was like an electrical charge. I could not feel the beatings anymore and the clubs kept on coming on our heads, shoulders, legs, and knees.
Right at Jamalzadeh crossing, I heard a cheering crowd and realized that a large group of screaming demonstrators pouring south into Azadi Avenue (the continuation of Enghelab Avenue after Enghelab Square toward Azadi Square is called Azadi Avenue). The guards stopped all of the buses in the middle of the boulevard and forced us into the middle of the street. It was déjà vu as we reached Dampezeshki (Animal Husbandry Hospital). This was the same spot I was badly beaten in a June 2009 post-election demonstration. So I kept myself on the extreme right side of the sidewalk. It seems that the Revolutionary Guards were repeating the same tactics again because they rounded up the people in the middle of the street and attacked them the same way they did in 2009. I slipped through the angry-looking guards and plainclothes militia and came across another scene.
When I reached Eskandari Street it looked like a war zone: smoke, dust, teargas, screaming people, flying stones, and regular attacks by the well-equipped motorcycle-riding guards. A petite young girl with a green wristband and a small backpack was walking to my left. Just before we reached Navab Avenue the guards charged from behind, one of their clubs hit my left leg but three of them attacked the girl relentlessly. She screamed and fell to the ground, but the guards kept hitting her. I ran towards them, grabbed the girl's right hand and released her from the grip of the guards. She was in a daze and crying unstoppably. I pushed her north into Navab Avenue towards Tohid Square away from Azadi Avenue when the guards charged towards us. This time the crowd fought back and stones of all sizes were directed back at them. This gave me a bit of time to ask one of the restaurants to open their doors and let us in. The girl was in shock and pain. I got her some water and asked how she was. Her clothes were dusty, her backpack was torn and her hands were shaking. "Why?" she kept asking.
The battle in front of the restaurant raged on. The crowd had only their fists and stones gathered from the sides of the street, but the guards were shooting people in the head with paint guns, and spraying pepper gas and shooting teargas canisters. Then in a moment that I thought I would never see, two guards ran up, sat on one foot and randomly fired plastic bullets into the crowd. We waited until the demonstrators pushed the guards back before leaving the restaurant.
10:30 p.m. From a Tehran Bureau correspondent:
It was amazing today. About 350,000 people showed up. The crowds came from the sidewalks. There was no chanting on the main avenue. The security forces would try to disperse the crowd once in a while by firing tear gas. People would move to the side streets and start bonfires.
It was beyond anything we had expected. They didn't shut off the mobile phones so word spread quickly [that they were not cracking down hard] before they shut them off around 4 p.m.
It seemed like the Basij were ordered not to act until ordered. They just stood around looking bewildered. When the riot police would drive by on their bikes, they just put the fires out.
Rarely did they arrest. I saw ten people arrested; this means probably up to 1,000 were arrested.
I was all over on foot and on the rapid transit buses. The crowds were EVERYWHERE. They were remarkable for their peacefulness. They filled a radius of about half a kilometer to 400 meters on both sides of Enghelab Avenue. It looks like for the first time people from working class areas were involved too.
I left two hours ago but the crowds were still out there. The security presence was large, perhaps 13,000.
There may have been some killings. We saw two people beaten to a pulp. The first [beating was administered] by intel ministry officers, the second by Sepah [the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps]. Overall people worked hard to stop the beatings of the regime forces.
About 200 special forces on bikes drove down on Javan Mard Ghasab, but perhaps they were going back to base [and not necessarily responding to protests there]. Several thousand walked from Imam Hossein Square towards Enghelb Square. This is the first time ever. Imam Hossein Square is working class.
Also at Jayhoon, one kilometer south of Enghelab, there were bonfires burning until 8 p.m. The police had blocked entry of cars westwards at Imam Hossein from 3 to 4 p.m., but people walked on the sidewalks.
I saw some 19 personnel carriers at Vanak Square around 9 p.m, plus 20 special motorbikes. An hour ago, 200 people were standing around Mohseni Square, known as Mother Square, in northern Tehran.
Overall, the security forces were restrained.
From homylafayette: "Compelling evidence that the protests continued into the night (and may still be going on, according to some reports). One of the ways to confirm the date of a video is to listen to the slogans being chanted. This clip features today's favorite phrase: 'Mubarak, Ben Ali, Nobateh Seyyed Ali!' (Seyyed Ali [Khamenei's] turn). One protester screams out, 'This is the rage of the people!' This looks like it was filmed on one of the city's main thoroughfares, Azadi Street."
9:55 p.m. The sun set over four hours ago in Tehran. We have reports that some people are getting blankets and food and trying to enter Azadi Square area to spend the night there. Elsewhere, the stream of new information has slowed down, so the live blog will be taking this opportunity for a bit of a rest itself. Thank you for following us during a long and interesting day. The full details of what unfolded today in Tehran and across the rest of the Iranian nation will take some time to emerge and we at Tehran Bureau look forward to bringing you those stories.
9:25 p.m. In addition to the various reports we have featured of tear gas being used against the protesters, AFP now reports that paintbull guns were used as well. More details:
Witnesses and websites said the opposition supporters had walked in scattered crowds silently to Azadi Square from several parts of the capital as policemen kept a sharp watch and tried dispersing them.
Riot police on motorbikes armed with shotguns, tear gas, batons, paintball guns and fire extinguishers were deployed in key squares in the capital to prevent the gatherings.
One witness said some demonstrators were chanting "Allahu Akbar!" (God is greatest) as they gathered around alleys near Azadi Square.
Another witness described how one group of demonstrators had walked silently from Imam Hussein Square to Enghelab Square. "They are being silent and trying to keep a low profile," the witness said.
9:15 p.m. According to the BBC, witnesses report streetlights being cut off and security forces beating people under cover of the dark.
9:00 p.m. More on Mousavi's thwarted attempt to join the protests from Kaleme website via homylafayette: "Mousavi's bodyguards were told he could not leave [his house]. Mousavi then tried to obtain his car keys in order to drive to the protests, but was rebuffed. He and his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, then decided to leave on foot, at which point the police van was driven into the alley to seal off the exit."
Amnesty International has condemned the Iranian government's efforts to forestall and break up the protests:
"Iranians have a right to gather to peacefully express their support for the people of Egypt and Tunisia. While the authorities have a responsibility to maintain public order, this should be no excuse to ban and disperse protests by those who choose to exercise that right," said Hassiba Hadj-Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
"This crackdown is the latest in a series of moves by the authorities aimed at blocking the work of activists and stifling dissent."
Two women give the "V" sign, which was seen often during the protests following the disputed June 2009 presidential election:
8:35 p.m. It appears that a large number of protesters were arrested in Tehran today, but we don't yet have reliable numbers to report.
Two videos from the same Tehran intersection, almost certainly shot today. A large poster described as bearing images of ayatollahs Khomeini and Khamenei is at the center of the action. In the first video, a man dressed in a sweater identified as a member of the Basij militia attempts to gather up the poster off the street as the crowd of protesters in the vicinity chants, "Na Ghaza! Na Lobnan! Tunis o Misr o Iran!" (Not Gaza! Not Lebanon! Tunisia and Egypt and Iran!). Suddenly, a fight breaks out and the purported Basij member is swarmed. We cannot confirm the man's membership in the militia, but this description of the event has been independently supported by @madyar via Twitter. In the second video, protesters attempt, without much success, to set fire to the poster:
9:25 p.m. In addition to the various reports we have featured of tear gas being used against the protesters, AFP now reports that paintbull guns were used as well. More details:
Witnesses and websites said the opposition supporters had walked in scattered crowds silently to Azadi Square from several parts of the capital as policemen kept a sharp watch and tried dispersing them.
Riot police on motorbikes armed with shotguns, tear gas, batons, paintball guns and fire extinguishers were deployed in key squares in the capital to prevent the gatherings.
One witness said some demonstrators were chanting "Allahu Akbar!" (God is greatest) as they gathered around alleys near Azadi Square.
Another witness described how one group of demonstrators had walked silently from Imam Hussein Square to Enghelab Square. "They are being silent and trying to keep a low profile," the witness said.
9:15 p.m. According to the BBC, witnesses report streetlights being cut off and security forces beating people under cover of the dark.
9:00 p.m. More on Mousavi's thwarted attempt to join the protests from Kaleme website via homylafayette: "Mousavi's bodyguards were told he could not leave [his house]. Mousavi then tried to obtain his car keys in order to drive to the protests, but was rebuffed. He and his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, then decided to leave on foot, at which point the police van was driven into the alley to seal off the exit."
Amnesty International has condemned the Iranian government's efforts to forestall and break up the protests:
"Iranians have a right to gather to peacefully express their support for the people of Egypt and Tunisia. While the authorities have a responsibility to maintain public order, this should be no excuse to ban and disperse protests by those who choose to exercise that right," said Hassiba Hadj-Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
"This crackdown is the latest in a series of moves by the authorities aimed at blocking the work of activists and stifling dissent."
Two women give the "V" sign, which was seen often during the protests following the disputed June 2009 presidential election:
8:35 p.m. It appears that a large number of protesters were arrested in Tehran today, but we don't yet have reliable numbers to report.
Two videos from the same Tehran intersection, almost certainly shot today. A large poster described as bearing images of ayatollahs Khomeini and Khamenei is at the center of the action. In the first video, a man dressed in a sweater identified as a member of the Basij militia attempts to gather up the poster off the street as the crowd of protesters in the vicinity chants, "Na Ghaza! Na Lobnan! Tunis o Misr o Iran!" (Not Gaza! Not Lebanon! Tunisia and Egypt and Iran!). Suddenly, a fight breaks out and the purported Basij member is swarmed. We cannot confirm the man's membership in the militia, but this description of the event has been independently supported by @madyar via Twitter. In the second video, protesters attempt, without much success, to set fire to the poster:
Detailed with supporting vids:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/front...02/iran-live-blog-25-bahman-14-february.html#
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/front...02/iran-live-blog-25-bahman-14-february.html#
A petite young girl with a green wristband and a small backpack was walking to my left. Just before we reached Navab Avenue the guards charged from behind, one of their clubs hit my left leg but three of them attacked the girl relentlessly. She screamed and fell to the ground, but the guards kept hitting her. I ran towards them, grabbed the girl's right hand and released her from the grip of the guards. She was in a daze and crying unstoppably.
من شاشيدم تو کس ننهٔ هر کی از اين رژيم حمايت ميکنه. ميخواد شتر باشه
ميخواد بچه باز. همين
من شاشيدم تو کس ننهٔ هر کی از اين رژيم حمايت ميکنه. ميخواد شتر باشه
ميخواد بچه باز. همين
Dear footballeirani
Maybe this guy was not an "official" Basiji, but listen to the "dialect" and the manner of his speech; surely a Hezbollahi (and almost by definition a pro-government).
So he called different stations, so what? I called different numbers of "Etelaat" and told them to go fuck themselves; nothing staged in my calls!
Maybe this guy was not an "official" Basiji, but listen to the "dialect" and the manner of his speech; surely a Hezbollahi (and almost by definition a pro-government).
So he called different stations, so what? I called different numbers of "Etelaat" and told them to go fuck themselves; nothing staged in my calls!
Iran's case is IMHO quite different from Egypt's.
In Egypt,
1- protesters came from all walks of life and all age groups.
2- the army quickly withdrew support from Mobarak and stayed neutral
3- there was unity among all opposing factions that came together with one goal in mind; to remove Mobarak
4- mass strikes paralyzed the nation
The Egyptian revolution can be likened to the our own in 1979.
in Iran today, most - not all- protesters are the youth. The youth may bring energy and movement, but they don't carry economic clout. They can fill the streets, but can not bring a nation to halt through strikes and work stoppages.
The "army"/militia are firmly controlled by the regime and so far quite loyal to it.
There is a great divide among the masses in Iran. Iran is not a united nation. The regime still has deep support among a fairly large cross-section of the society.
To expect the same outcome in Iran in the same fashion as Egypt is unrealistic because they are very dissimilar cases. The only similarity is that there is discontent among a large section of the society, but that's where the similarities end. It takes a lot more than several thousand -mostly youth- protesting in the streets and setting up bonfires for a revolution to happen in Iran. People are doing what they can to the extent they can. They are keeping the flame alive, but this is far from a full blown uncontrollable fire.
In Egypt,
1- protesters came from all walks of life and all age groups.
2- the army quickly withdrew support from Mobarak and stayed neutral
3- there was unity among all opposing factions that came together with one goal in mind; to remove Mobarak
4- mass strikes paralyzed the nation
The Egyptian revolution can be likened to the our own in 1979.
in Iran today, most - not all- protesters are the youth. The youth may bring energy and movement, but they don't carry economic clout. They can fill the streets, but can not bring a nation to halt through strikes and work stoppages.
The "army"/militia are firmly controlled by the regime and so far quite loyal to it.
There is a great divide among the masses in Iran. Iran is not a united nation. The regime still has deep support among a fairly large cross-section of the society.
To expect the same outcome in Iran in the same fashion as Egypt is unrealistic because they are very dissimilar cases. The only similarity is that there is discontent among a large section of the society, but that's where the similarities end. It takes a lot more than several thousand -mostly youth- protesting in the streets and setting up bonfires for a revolution to happen in Iran. People are doing what they can to the extent they can. They are keeping the flame alive, but this is far from a full blown uncontrollable fire.
I hate this hypocrite Mirandi , I hope he spends his lifetime in jail if Iran every become free but i hate the fact that foreign media keeps interviewing him:
[video=youtube;LiYjAiUJpQ4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiYjAiUJpQ4[/video]
Fareed Zakari had the best interview with him a couple years ago
[video=youtube;T3SIQs4D5hY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3SIQs4D5hY[/video]
[video=youtube;LiYjAiUJpQ4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiYjAiUJpQ4[/video]
Fareed Zakari had the best interview with him a couple years ago
[video=youtube;T3SIQs4D5hY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3SIQs4D5hY[/video]