Many of the reformists who had been a part of demonstrations for the past few weeks and had said they will not stop protesting till they get their demands were not among people who were fighting and dying for freedom in the streets of Tehran today.
The demonstrations started in the centre around 4 o’clock the police (including the official city police all three branches of Sepah and Basijis in plain clothing) had already settled in all the main squares and streets. We saw many members of Basij with plain clothing armed to the teeth ready to kill people who came in groups of 5-10 and stayed in corners at first you could say there was about 10,000 people around Enqelab Square (Revolution Square) who had not joined each other yet. What happened was like 3500-4000 people would gather and form a demonstration start yelling out things like: and “Khamenei you Pinochet Iran is not going to be Chile”. But none of the gatherings could last long because the police would hit people and Sepah would shoot people, and members of Basij stabbed people.
People who lived in the neighbourhood had left their doors open so injured people and the ones followed by the police could get in. It was the same in many other places, in Tehran at Tohid Square the police were settled in a bus and shot people from there, people who did not even carry weapons and had came to the streets just to have a calm demonstration to defend their basic rights as citizens and human beings.
In Azadi square (Freedom Square) people were numerous and were also attacked, injured and killed by the police, but today the demonstrations were not only held in the city centre, they were spread out in most places of Tehran: Vanak Square, Ferdosi Square, Shahrakegharb, Tehranpars, Ariashahr and many other neighbourhoods. Tehran was a scene of ordinary people and even children fighting against the police, unarmed and unprotected, but brave and willing to sacrifice anything even their lives for freedom. People had burned down cars and other vehicles that mostly belonged to police, tear gas cannisters was fired in every place that people had gathered. Many of us had never seen so many members of Basij in all our lives. The regime had gathered all of its forces and supporters to kill its own citizens wildly in the streets. People stayed in Azadi and Vanak Square till 12 midnight and there are still battle going on in some streets.
Many people are in hospital, were the police are making a list of their names. Many of the activists are arrested and some have disappeared. Today the Islamic Republic showed every one once again, that they will not obey peoples will and they are ready to kill as many as it takes to stay in power. Some on the Left will support the Islamic Republic against us and Western Governments may try to meddle, their support is poisonous, the Iranian people will decide their fate alone, against imperialism and against the Islamic Republic. We do need the support of our comrades across the world. The people showed that they want more than just tiny reforms, they want what has been taken away from them all these years, they want their freedom and their dignity back. A regime that is so afraid of the majority of its citizens that kills unarmed people in the streets is not a regime that could last and we will take on this fight till we are a free nation.
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21.06.2009 04:27
I'd like to mention that you cannot divide the Iranian society in a clear cut middle class, working class categories as once was popular in the west. After the islamic republis a new middle class has emerged who are actuallt quite supportive of the govornments. Bazaari's in Tehran have been the main funder of the rejime ever since. Poeple on the streets are a mixture of people from students, factory workers, shop keepers , and yes north Tehrani middle class. but each have their cause:
The common ground for all, was the denial of the govornment to consider their votes. In Iran as opposed to many western govornments votes do matter, it was the mass boycott of elections who sent ahmadinejad to Pastor street (Tehran's equivalent of Downing st). Worker's unions have never been under such great pressure for years. Same goes for students and peasants. People have been denied their right to express their vote, even if that voice was , to begin with, to say No to Ahmadinejad, to vote for reformists, Not for the same of Mousavi, but to be able to use the very limited option that they are given within the structure of the regime. But ahmadinejad govornment who has the ultimate support of the supreme leader did not even tolerate this. In the beginning there was no call for a regime change , even though the votes for reformists, may or may not be interpreted to suggest so.
Nima
e-mail:
nimaria@gmail.com
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Dear Nima
21.06.2009 06:24
Yes, in Venezuala, Bolivia, Brasil, Cuba. And now Iran. What do all those countries have in common? A priveleged right-wing middle-class elite who want to return to expoliting their own poor.
So, Nima, why are you marching, what are the protests about? Are you wishing to topple the theocracy? Cos no one has said that so far and it seems pointless to die for anything less than that.
Lots of people have noticed the Green revolution as it has been labelled is one of the CIAs colour-coded revolutions. You might want to have a look at how badly the Saffron revolution went. You might want to think back to how much has changed in China since the CIA backed Tiananmen Square revolt went 20 years ago. Or how the Czech and Hungarian revolts were encouraged by a CIA that never provided any real support once the bullets started flying.
If you are battling the theocracy and are prepared to die doing that without any real outside support, good luck to you. You should be aware you are doing exactly what the CIA wants you to do, and you get no reward for that.
Danny
CIA?
21.06.2009 08:25
Solidarity to the fighters in Iran. Smash Islamic regime in Iran! Remember the yearly Al quds day celebrating the Islamic revolution in London,supports of oppression and dictatorship -- I think we should mount a massive opposition a reclaim back from the fascists the anti-islamic feelings.
Anarchist Militant
damn straight.
21.06.2009 12:08
It is funny to see these right-on, Student Grant fundie sympathiser twits call the Iranian protest / revolutionary movement middle class though!
Or when they make out that because they're in a developing country and aren't busy eating dirt and being stereotypical peasants they must be part of the elite. Lols!
operateor
zionists and 'militant anarchists'
21.06.2009 12:28
We should be told :-)
Do militant anarchists have a position of Judaism? Or is it just Islam?
We should be told that too ;-)
K I S S I N G
Right on Danny!
21.06.2009 12:56
Selma
Twitter-fucking
21.06.2009 15:21
anon