Supporters of Iran's Government Stage Big Rallies

[Flaneur]

Source: BBC

Tens of thousands of Iranians have protested in favour of their government in major cities across the country, following recent opposition protests.

Government supporters marched in Tehran, Shiraz, Qom and elsewhere, chanting "Death to opponents!"

The rallies - reportedly organised by the government - were a response to the opposition demonstrations on Sunday.

Tehran has accused Western powers of stirring-up the protests which left at least eight people dead.



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8435007.stm

---

This is growing increasingly bitter and ugly. It could end up as a revolution...it could end up as a civil war...

[Flaneur]

1. A couple of ominous notes from the article:

The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the Iranian authorities are clearly seeking to throw down a gauntlet to the opposition.

He says they are now embarking upon a two-pronged assault on the opposition:

* the undiplomatic attacks on Britain, the US and Israel - blaming them for fermenting the political unrest inside Iran - represents a clear attempt to paint opposition forces as the puppets of foreign powers

* but increasingly there is also an ominous religious tone to the government attacks as well; a branding of at least some of the opposition demonstrators as "enemies of God" - a label which could be used to justify their deaths.

[EFerrari]

5. There seems to be a lot going on at the same time.

I need a program to keep up with all the players.

[Warpy]

2. The operative word is "stage," of course

Government workers and students were all ordered to attend. It didn't look like anybody else was there.

The crowd was small and the camera angles, um, intimate. There were no overhead shots.

[lollybaby]

3. It is sad that this site is fast becoming the 'Prep for Iran War' site...

Why did I say that? Just count the number of posted stories on Iran on this site and you start to wonder what's up? Is DU being used by savvy Iranians or some other 'interested parties'. Which is it? Because I do not see that many reports about the fraudulent Afghanistan elections here. Or are some fraudulent elections better than others? I am just saying...

[EFerrari]

4. Yes, some fraudulent elections are more acceptable, like the ones in Honduras

and in Afghanistan.

I noticed the rash of stories about Iran, too, lollybaby. I don't think it's this site but more the aggregate of our corporate media output. We tend to stay on top of new stories here.

And, welcome to DU.

[lollybaby]

6. Thanks for the 'Welcome'...

[Warpy]

8. We're all interested in this one

especially now that someone with a little common sense is in the White House and he prefers diplomacy to war. It would be nice to see the present regime there replaced with someone who is capable of it, also.

Sorry if provincial people are offended.

[Prometheus Bound]

7. Did you watch the BBC video? The crowd is fucking enormous!

The picture lower down of the opposition protest is what you describe.

[Warpy]

9. Bob Roony, is that you?

Estimates of the crowd size range from a lowball 10,000 to a more likely 30,000 to a Beckian 5 million.

I saw that video. That was the intimate camera angle I talked about. There were no shots of surrounding streets. The protests were well behaved, with little passion.

It all adds up to "staged."

[Prometheus Bound]

10. Staged, it might well have been, but small it wasn't. As for the opposition demonstrations....

I don't see what the point is in exaggerating things. Why not just say what they are?