1. Saturday: Protestors Defied Khamenei’s Demand to End the Protests: “Some 3,000 protesters, many wearing black, chanted “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to dictatorship!” near Revolution Square in downtown Tehran, setting off fierce clashes with police firing tear gas, water cannons and guns, witnesses said. It was not clear if police were firing live ammunition. Some protesters appeared to be fighting back, setting fire to militia members’ motorcycles, witnesses said. State video footage showed people beating a man in the street beside a fallen motorcycle. Another motorcycle blazed nearby. Amateur video showed crowds chanting in the streets and hurling rocks at police, with white clouds of gas billowing through the streets. There were no immediate confirmed reports of fatalities.”
2. Mousavi “Prepares for Martyrdom”: Unconfirmed reports are saying that Mousavi, in response to Khamenei’s threats against continuing the protests, has declared that he is prepared for martyrdom.Â
3. Explosion at Khomeini’s Shrine: “Two people were killed and eight people were injured in a blast at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in southern Tehran, Press TV reported.”
4. Columbia University and Iran Expert Hamid Dabashi on the Shrine Explosion and the Protests: He calls the movement not so much a revolutionary movement but a civil rights movement, which I thought was interesting. See the video here.
5. President Obama steps up his rhetoric in support of the protests: US President Barack Obama urged Iran’s government “to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people”, saying the “world is watching”. The country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei had warned protesters on Friday not to continue their rallies, but they openly defied his words. President Obama said the US stood by all who sought to exercise their right to free speech and assembly. He added: “If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.”
6. University of Michigan Professor and Iran Expert Juan Cole: Is the current movement closer to 1963’s uprising or the 1979 revolution? “The real question is whether this is 1963, when the shah managed to put down a rebellion led by Ruhollah Khomeini, or whether it is 1978-79, when he failed to do so. The answer lies in the depth of support for the protests among the population, and in the stance of the various armed forces toward the latter. In 1963 the military was willing to crack down hard on the protesters. In 1978, they started refusing to fire on them. The air force officers actually went over to Khomeini, which was decisive. Precisely because the opposition is from within the ruling circle, we cannot know what the Revolutionary Guards and the regular armed forces are thinking. Mousavi helped get Iran’s military act together during the Iran-Iraq War. Rezaie is a former commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s national guard. If the armed forces hesitate or split, Khamenei could be in real trouble. If not, the protesters could end up being crushed.
7. Shirin Ebadi on the Movement: “Continue to express yourselves but stay peaceful – don’t give any excuse to those who want to use violence against you.”
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It’s happening, the MEK monster has awoken and it’s yellow. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/06/2009620174443971513.html
Alireza Jafarzadeh, one of the organisers of the French rally, said that the people gathered in Paris “want an end to the clerical dictatorship in Iran and they want a secular democracy which is represented by Mrs Maryam Rajavi”.
Many people in the crowd wore yellow vests reading “Viva Ashraf” or “Our Choice: Maryam Rajavi”.
I saw that as well on fox. Before I even realized it was the MEK all I could think was, “This looks very cultish.” Sheperd Smith of fox news was enamored, of course.
These fools are basically flipping a fat hairy middle finger to these protesters. Classy. Shepard Smith doesnt know ant better. I could tell him vegetarianism is illegal in Iran and he would believe me.
What needed to be said:
“When you get a chance, go on Friday to Na’alin or Bil’in and see what happens there. Demonstrators are killed here with similar brutality, but in Iran the crowd is standing up to a tyrannical regime, while here only a handful of brave people stand up to the Border Police, who are firing weapons. Moreover, we hardly write anything about the protest being silenced with bullets. It interests no one, and this, too, is called democracy.”
Obviously, everyone on this blog knows that under the IRI Constitution, the “President” is nothing but “Something” that the “Supreme Leader” hides behind. The fucking “Supreme Leader” knows very well that his Disney Land Islam and 12th Imam’s coming is not something that he can sell to the West, the East or the Godless North. So he props out a fucking “President”, whether the name is Ahmaghi-Nejad, Mu (cow) ssavi, dog-shit, cat-shit, or anything/anyone who is deluded in the never-never land of Allah or God, or the hidden 12th Imam, no matter what 13 billion years of evolution demonstrates.
The fucking “Supreme Leader” thinks he knows better. Well Mr. KhKhKh-aab-manei, you don’t know shit. That is because you need another 5 billion years of brain evolution before your Sun and planet earth disappears from the universe.
Fuck God. Fuck all religions. Read Richard Dawkins’ “God Delusion”. Meanwhile, get rid of the current Iranian Constitution. It is a piece of meaningless Bullshit. There is no “Supreme Leader†in the entire world — Islamic, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Jerry Fallwell, or Billy Graham. They are deluded. And a bunch of thugs in Iran, paid by the Ayatollah from the oil revenues, maintain that bullshit constitution. What a farce!!
That chick on the cover of Time might regret having her picture taken.
Great blog btw Pouya. I’ve actually visited your site since at least 2006.. and your insights and foresight are rare amongst the Iranian web population. Most of them just stoop to the lowest common denominator, unfortunately. Keep it up!
The serious news, and probably the most decisive piece of news about the election since the returns were announced, Iran’s elected Assembly of Experts, chaired by Heshemi Rafsanjani, has issued a statement backing the reported results of the election. (Google translation)
That means in every meaningful way of this conflict is over for two reasons. First it is now unreasonable to entertain the idea that the election results were fabricated from whole-cloth by Iran’s Ministry of the Interior on orders from either Ahmadinejad (which had always been impossible as Ahmadinejad never had enough authority on his own) or by Khamenei.
http://mideastreality.blogspot.com/2009/06/serious-and-not-serious-ways-we-know.html
Ahmadinejad won; get over it!
That picture on the Times is a stunt, and do not worry about her. She is probably in Beaverly Hills in the swimming pool enjoying her fame for who ever pays attention, Mr Mosavi had a fake commercial about addicts in his ad by a local acterss, just I want to remind you.
Shame on Mousavi. When I saw the video of Neda dying, I was shocked. This man is irresponsible and disgraceful. He has used these youths as human shields, while he sat at home promising web site messages. Shame on him. I also wonder why Neda’s parents didn’t do more to protect/prevent her from participating in such an obvious exploitation. This movement is completely disorganized and unproductive. I will never understand why people love to put themselves in the way of danger for liars, like Mousavi. If his record wasn’t so widely known, I would understand. But he is a known murderer and selfish bastard. That’s how he got where he is today. Politicians don’t reform themselves. The reformist movement is as genuine as bigfoot.
By the way, it is being reported today that Tehran is still and calm. What will happen to this movement? Will people resent Mou/Raf for this selfish spectacle? Will they demand justice? This regime is a religiously founded and widely adored establishment. When will people understand this? When will the media see that it’s not as simple as Saddam or Kim Jon Il? You don’t fuck with people’s faith.
Curius Joe raises a good point, but who are we kidding? People don’t even believe in evolution, which even a flu virus proves based on how we create vaccines! And you think they will suddenly demand a new constitution?
I agree nazanin, governmenet should represent people. Iran has very relious people, you alienate them as shah did or you represent them as revolution did, _az koozeh haman taravad ke dar ost_ zendeh bad enghelab
http://jahannews.com/images/docs/000055/n00055348-r-b-000.jpg
At first I thought it was a baseeji guy, but looking closely.. he doesnt really look like a baseeji guy, and he doesnt look like the demonstators are bothering him either. Anyone else get same sense?
These are agents of …. kill innocents people and the media balames it on basiji or police force in iran
yeah i found the picturetolead me too same conclusion im not saying that police or basiji havent shot anyone. but i think people have to mindfull of this tactic. I think the bombing of Khomenies shrine was meant to enrage the baseej and other “khomeniests” into a very violent crackdown on the protestors to vent their anger. I dont know just my thoughts.
I just saw the same pic on cnn, with the caption A supporter of Mir Hossein Moussavi carries a toy gun to scare away forces in Tehran on Saturday. ttp://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/21/iran.election/index.html
First question, why would u carry a fake rifle so security forces will think you are armed ? Like even here in Canada, its suicidal to carry a fake rifle when confronting the police. let alone in the tense situation we have in IRan