Iran: 18 Tir : Fight the Power (Tehran demonstrations)

[formercia]

http://tehranbureau.com/18-tir-people-power/

18 Tir : Fight the Power



Cartoon caption: The people are ahead of Mousavi. “Wait for me to catch up with you,” he says.

Dispatch from Tehran | 10 July 2009

The city was revved up for 18 Tir. Emails had been circulating all week, outlining ten demonstration routes across Tehran. The emails called on people to “be present” on the streets, even in their cars, if they feared going on foot, expressing solidarity by honking and obstructing security maneuvers by jamming the roads. Locations in provincial capitals were included too; the day was slated for a nationwide event.

Yesterday’s protests differed from previous ones in two ways. First, they were organized entirely online, lending credence to purported theories of a “cyber-revolution.” Second, more significantly, the turnout sprung from the people themselves; it was not prompted by a call from opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi. In fact, an open invitation posted to opposition websites bid him to join them. In elegant script on an electronic invite card, Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi and Mohammad Khatami were all three requested to join the people “in peaceful marches to honor the tenth anniversary of the student martyrs of June 9, 1999,” in effect signalling that the movement has surpassed its figurehead. It was steering along on an organic course without leadership from above. Thus unmediated, turnout would be a critical measure of how far Iranians were prepared to stand up to the regime on their own.

Thursday afternoon, we headed out in a caravan of three cars for Vanak Square, armed with water bottles and green surgical masks. (Long marches have taught us to avert thirst; filming by Intelligence agents cautioned protection of identity.) At 4:30 p.m., Vanak was dead. Policemen idled on four corners of the square, and a line of buses, apparently intended to transport captured “rioters,” were parked to the side. There were no people though; even the usual pedestrian flow was absent. Our spirits flagged a bit, seeing deserted a scene we expected to be swarming.

“Iranians are always late,” one friend joked. “They’ll show up by 6-ish.”

--snip--

[woo me with science]

1. Thank you once again, formercia.

You are doing a fantastic job of keeping news from Iran prominent on DU despite a very challenging format. I, and I'm sure many others, really, really appreciate it.

[formercia]

2. I'm glad you appreciate the updates.

This is too important allow it to disappear.

[formercia]

3. Afternoon kick. n/t