http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/front...upport-for-demonstrations-on-february-14.html Mehdi Alikhani Sadr, a senior Interior Ministry official, declared that the request by Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi for a Monday march permit is "illegal." He did not explain how the request can be illegal when the permit is not even required -- Article 27 of the Iranian Constitution stipulates that peaceful gatherings and demonstrations are allowed. New software has been made available to facilitate access to the websites that have been blocked in Iran, allowing Internet users to get the latest news about the Monday marches and spread the word. It can be found via sadrah.com. The youth branch of the Islamic Iran Participation Front has issued a statement supporting the call to march on Monday and asking people to take part. A commander of special forces during the Iran-Iraq War has called on young people to participate in the Monday marches. He writes, "I feel as though the 25 Bahman demonstrations have exactly the same symbolic meaning for our youth, the young Iranian lions and lionesses, that the war with Iraq had for us, except that this time the enemy is not Iraq, but Zahhak," the mythical Persian emperor who is the symbol of the tyrannical ruler.
Godspeed to my Persian brothers and sisters! We need to take advantage of this historical moment of Liberty to free the region from the chains of tyranny (both physical and mental). The Egyptian Free Youth Movement stands with you!
12:00 a.m. We begin our 25 Bahman live blog with an unconfirmed list of demonstration sites and times in 24 cities. Given the nature of the demonstrations and their planning, it is impossible to verify much of this information in advance of actual events: * Tehran: 3 PM (From Imam Hossein to Azadi Square) * Babol: 4 PM (In front of Babol Technical University; Near Amir Kabir Square) * Shiraz: 3 PM (From Namazi Square to the Engineering Building #2; Mullah Sadra Avenue) * Isfahan: 3 PM (Enghelab Avenue) * Ahvaz: 6 PM (Naderi Avenue) * Mashhad: 5 PM (Rahnomayee Threeway) * Rasht: 3 PM (Motahhari Avenue) * Ardabil: 4 PM (From Sahriati Square to the Bazaar) * Bushahr: 5 PM (From Layan Avenue to 6th of Bahman Square) * Kerman 3 PM (Around Taryafard) * Orumieh: 4 PM (Atayee Avenue) * Tabriz: 5 PM (Saa'at Square) * Hamedan: 4 PM (Bo-Ali's Tomb) * Tonekabon: 5 PM (From Karimabad Square to Imam Square) * Kermanshah: 3 PM (From 22nd of Bahman Threeway / Nowbahar Avenue to Azadi Square) * Sanandaj: 5 PM (6th of Bahman Avenue) * Semnan: 5 PM (From Sa'adi Square to Kowsar Square) * Khurramabad: 5 PM (Khurramrud Avenue) * Shahre Kord: 5 PM (Enghelab Square) * Kashan: 5 PM (15 of Khordad Square) * Ghazvin: 5 PM (Khayyam Avenue / Adl Square) * Sari: 5 PM (Enghelab Avenue) * Gorgan: 5 PM (Palace Traffic Circle) * Arak: 5 PM (Valiasr Square)
If the governments in Iran and Libya could be toppled, that would be fantastic. Unfortunately, it is a pipe dream, I think.
Right now, these "revolutions" are like playing poker with the full pot every time. The people won the first two rounds, but sooner or later someone is going to lose to the house if it keeps going. And when that happens, especially with respect to Iran, it could turn very bloody. Specifically, if you actually manage to make the hardliners worry about the possibility of losing power, they might react with a whole lot less restraint than they showed at the elections last year. I wish the best for those who take part, but I'm concerned for the well-being of those involved. My personal assessment is that the risk/reward ratio of doing this now in Iran isn't very favorable. Again, I hope I'm wrong. I think for some of the people who cheer this stuff on in the West, they don't really particularly care about the "little people" who die in support their own Western democracy narrative.
Praying for my Persian brothers and sisters as well. I hope that they will be safe and do not give in to the hard lining govt. The day the Islamic Republic goes down will be a beautiful day in Iran.
does democracy have a regional narrative? does democracy mean one thing in the west, another in the east, and still another in persia and the levant?
The Fox News crowd cares about the people of Iran so long as they are doing things that satisfy some personal emotional need. Once they are no longer convenient in that regard, they become distasteful and unplesant moo-slims. In otherwords, they care so much about democracy in Iran that they are willing to shed as much Iranian blood as it takes.
I think if any one thought a bloody oppression could quell an uprising than they would not hesitate to do it. The risk of it is a wider rebellion. This isn't China where the PRC is immensely powerful with people in rural area. That was a student protest but didn't bring in the wider public. If something goes wide scale it becomes problematic for a military to oppress. At what point will generals fire upon their own friends and families? They can not. They are citizens too. If there is too much support for revolution, even Iran will fall. Because the gov't can not force soldiers to kill their own without risking civil war.
That's only somewhat true. In the case of the Iranian protests after the election, the Army didnt do that much. In fact they stood by for the most part. It was the Iranian revolutionary guard and hired thugs that were brought in that really started to crack down on people. In Egypt and Tunisia there were no equivalents to the Revolutionary Guard. Once the armies in both countries decided not to back the government, there really wasnt anyone for either dictator to turn to. In the case of Iran, the regime has their own private militia to crack down on things for them. That's what makes it such a hard prospect over there. Unlike in Tunisia and Egypt, the government in Iran is ready to fight a revolution with fire.
I like the part where they beat up the guy <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wFNAWuT2zow" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
