UPDATE: This information was just published on Enduring America. Allegedly, this video (below) shows a “human chain” demonstration at Sistan and Baluchestan University in southeastern Iran, more evidence that June 12 was not a “quiet day.”
June 12, 2010 (22 Khordad 89) marked the one year anniversary of the elections in Iran. Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, Ahmadinejad’s opponents, had applied for permits to hold silent protests and marches in order to commemorate the event, but 48 hours out, and without an official response from the government, both leaders released a joint statement cancelling the events.
There was, therefore, a great amount of uncertainty as to what would happen, where it would happen, and how big it would happen. By the end of Saturday, many of our questions would be answered.
The night before, people who are discontent with their government chanted “Allah o Akbar” (God is Great) from their rooftops, as has been happening many nights as a sign of protest, prayer for the success of the Green Movement, and thanks for the many brave Iranians who protest the government. Ironically, a very reliable source reported that the apartment building of a friend of hers was raided by police one the eve of the anniversary for chanting. Apparently, even this prayer has become a threat to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The day started slowly (a work day, a hot day). There were large amounts of security forces, but few protests early on. But by 5 PM large protests had erupted inside of Tehran University. Within minutes, reports of protests in Sharif University (video) had also emerged. Soon, security forces had cordoned off the universities. As hundreds of students chanted, groups of people clashed with security forces as they tried to break the siege. Tear gas was fired, and at least six were arrested.
June 12, 2010 — Protest at Sharif University, 12. June 2010 Chant: “Liar liar, where are your 63 % supporters…”
Agents of the Islamic Regime attack students at Tehran University in Iran.
The students chant: “Students will die, but will not accept humiliation”!
There were also clashes at Vali-e Asr Square, where at least three were arrested. There were widespread clashes between security forces and protesters in Revolution Square (Enghelab Square), where approximately 5,000 security forces were gathered. There is video of hundreds of people making their way into the square, and reliable reports of thousands of protesters gathered there.
Displaying The Heavy Presence of Anti Riot Forces Among People Location: Enghelab/ Vali Asr Avenue (Tehran)
Clashes on Vali Asr Street, Tehran
According to my associate Josh Shahryar, “People also managed to gather in Taleghani Square, Palestine Square, Ferdowsi Square, Hafez Bridge, Laleh Park, Argentine Park and other areas. So far, the confirmed number of arrests stands at 21, but the actual number is almost certainly higher.”
There were reports of protests in Shiraz, Mashaad, Isfahan, and Zahedan, Tabriz, Sari, Kerman, Sanandaj, Ahvaz and Aryashahr, as well as these well documented cases in Tehran. This means that there were protests in the North, South, East AND West, small and large population centers, and in the universities and streets that symbolize the hope of the revolution of 1979 (see the map).
At least 200 were arrested, (UPDATE: New report says that 400 were arrested and moved to Evin prison, and as many as 900 were detained at one point) a litmus test of the size of the protests. With the level of security forces on the streets, and the official cancellation of the events, this event superseded the expectations of most analysts.
After the February 11th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, there was a great deal of disappointment, both among the protesters and among the analysts. This time, protesters returning home were reporting incredibly an incredibly upbeat impression of the day. As far as they were concerned, and as far as we can tell, the protests on Saturday were a smashing success, a testament that the Green Movement is, indeed, strong.
Media Coverage
Reporting on Iran is getting more difficult with each passing day. Fewer protesters bring cameras or show their cell phones for fear of being tracked (thanks to technology provided by Nokia-Seimens), arrested, or even killed. What video and pictures do emerge then has to escape the filtering by the Iranian government, as well as the Turkish government (Turkey has begin to heavily censor Youtube and Google because of their unIslamic content, and news from Iran seems to be collateral damage). Since last June, mainstream media has been banned and many journalists have been arrested.
So how do we report on Iran? Many of our sources are Iranian expatriates, folk with knowledge of Iranian politics, geography, and folk who still have friends and family inside the country. Some of our sources are other reporters, working covertly from within. Some of our sources are in Iran, and report through the use of anti-filtering technology, sometimes using contacts in other nations to get their story out and into our hands. Not all the information we receive is reliable, but our trusted sources are reliable. They tell us things, and hours later we get footage. As such, those of us who have been doing this work for a year now know what is reliable and what is not. History continues to prove that our coverage is accurate and timely.
Unfortunately, most mainstream media sources do not have this kind of network in place, and they are uncomfortable relying on what they cannot see for themselves. As a result, much of the coverage was simply wrong. The Associated Press ran with the headline that it was a quiet day in Iran, and many others reposted that. That contrasts pretty clearly with the reports (which we are not confirming yet) by The National that there were 100,000 on the streets around Enghelab Square alone. It also contrasts with the videos and live blogs on Dissected News and elsewhere. Which part was quiet? The hundreds of arrests, the tear gas, the chanting, the motor cycles, riot trucks…
In other words, the websites with the best evidence have the most accurate headlines, and they aren’t the big guns, they’re the blogs. As my latest Huffington Post feature describes, the media has covered this story wrong from the beginning. Today doesn’t seem like a turning point in the trend.
Aftermath
Obviously, each day (and lately each hour) brings us more news, but what we know so far is that there has been an impressive backlash against reformist and Green politicians. There have been attacks against Grand Ayatollah Sane’i, the family of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, and Mehdi Karroubi in Qom. Also, following Saturday’s events, any blogs using WordPress have been blocked by the government (we have confirmed that Enduring America has been filtered, unsure whether this blog is also blocked as it does use a WordPress engine). That’s a significant aftermath for a “quiet day.”
Bottom Line
As many of the protesters returned to their homes, their reports began to come in. The optimism, the hope, could be felt across the sea. The expectations a year later are significantly lower. No one who is paying attention to the evidence has predicted the immediate collapse of the Iranian government for quite some time, but the effects of its weakness are palpable. There is increased infighting amongst the clerics, pushback from parliament, vocal protestations from the mouths of the reformists, labor strikes in Kurdistan, and there were protests all over the country on Saturday. The unrelenting message that has been growing in volume over the last several months is that the Green Movement is alive, strong, and growing. And its time has yet to come.
Posted in Featured, Foreign Policy, Iran, Iran Videos, Live Blogs, Live Blogs: Iran, Media, Middle East
