News from Iran? Good? Bad? Who knows?

[garbon]

Is there anything that keeps me from being a twitter reporter (except not having a twitter account)? I could report this story, and dozens of others, depending on how much time I want to kill:

"Last night, my brother and I went out to the protests. We got separated, there was some shooting, and I can't find him. He never came home last night. I'm so worried."

Well, why don't you?

[Sheilbh]

Again from the Guardian:

Our correspondent in Tehran reports that all of Tehran is shouting "Allah-o-Akbar" from rooftops. He reports that Mohammad Reza Shajarian, a popular Iranian singer, has joind the protesters in streets holding green banners.

Mohajerani, a former Iranian cultural minster now based in london, has asked people to go to friday pray this week and shout pro-mousavi slogans.

Three motorbikes set on fire in Vanak Square right now.

BBC's report on the difficulty of filing:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8102421.stm

[DisturbedPervert]

I like the twitter report better. It is so raw and compelling!

Is there anything that keeps me from being a twitter reporter (except not having a twitter account)? I could report this story, and dozens of others, depending on how much time I want to kill:

"Last night, my brother and I went out to the protests. We got separated, there was some shooting, and I can't find him. He never came home last night. I'm so worried."

That's not much different than what a lot of real journalists do.

[Josquius]

I like the twitter report better. It is so raw and compelling!

Is there anything that keeps me from being a twitter reporter (except not having a twitter account)? I could report this story, and dozens of others, depending on how much time I want to kill:

"Last night, my brother and I went out to the protests. We got separated, there was some shooting, and I can't find him. He never came home last night. I'm so worried."

Do it!

[alfred russel]

Is there anything that keeps me from being a twitter reporter (except not having a twitter account)? I could report this story, and dozens of others, depending on how much time I want to kill:

"Last night, my brother and I went out to the protests. We got separated, there was some shooting, and I can't find him. He never came home last night. I'm so worried."

Well, why don't you?

I don't have a twitter account, and it is also kind of lame. But until proven otherwise, that is what I'd assume that is what a lot of the twitter reporting actually is.

[alfred russel]

Actually, it would be funny to do that for an extended period, then to become increasingly bizarre after you got a large following, alluding to things like spaceshits over Tehran and dead aliens on the streets.

[garbon]

I don't have a twitter account, and it is also kind of lame. But until proven otherwise, that is what I'd assume that is what a lot of the twitter reporting actually is.

I totally agree; I'd never turn to twitter for news...well really anything.

[MadImmortalMan]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/5540211/Iran-protest-cancelled-as-leaked-election-results-show-Mahmoud-Amadinejad-came-third.html

The statistics, circulated on Iranian blogs and websites, claimed Mr Mousavi had won 19.1 million votes while Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won only 5.7 million.

The two other candidates, reformist Mehdi Karoubi and hardliner Mohsen Rezai, won 13.4 million and 3.7 million respectively. The authenticity of the leaked figures could not be confirmed.

[KRonn]

A few questions I'm not sure about.

I've read a few reports that the police are starting to seem a lot more sympathetic to the protestors, some even smiling and waving now.  Apparently women have played a key role as they run to the front of the protest and chant 'we're all Iranian'.  Would that matter if it were true that the police were beginning to sympathise?

Similarly what's going on in the Revolutionary Guards.  I mean they're the part of the Iranian state we know least about.  Are they loyal above all to Khameini or to Ahmadinejad?  I've read a couple of reports that many of the RG on the street of Teheran sound like they've been shipped in.  If the Teheran Bajis and RG start to be less keen on repressing protests how significant would that be?

What's going on in the provinces?  So far I've seen clips that are allegedly from cities outside Teheran but journalists can't get there (indeed they're now being held in hotels and offices until their visas expire, which they do in the next day or two) and I've read that a Bajis base in Mashad has been burned down.  Are there protests there?  Or is the country quiet?

Given that today's protest was meant to be cancelled because there were a lot of rumours of a trap and then hastily re-arranged to follow a different route apparently again hundreds of thousands turned out which is impressive. 

Yeah, I'm wondering if now this is too big to contain, as previous uprisings have been handled? But that may change, as has happened previously and protests quelled. And even so, I'd have to think that this has sparked huge changes in people's views and attitudes, and what they want, don't want and will tolerate from the rulers.

Waiting to see if any of the rumors are true, about the military, police or militias having a change of mind on things. Or more likely, the power play going on among these group's leaders.

[Valmy]

Once you start threatening people, if the protest has a decent chance of success that will just encourage them to back the protests further as their only chance to escape retribution by the regime.  If done poorly attempts to intimidate people can have the exact opposite effect.

[Josquius]

What's going on in the provinces?  So far I've seen clips that are allegedly from cities outside Teheran but journalists can't get there (indeed they're now being held in hotels and offices until their visas expire, which they do in the next day or two) and I've read that a Bajis base in Mashad has been burned down.  Are there protests there?  Or is the country quiet?

Thats a big one I'm interested in.
Its they who were conned the most afterall with the uniform results across the country.

[Ed Anger]

I don't have a twitter account, and it is also kind of lame. But until proven otherwise, that is what I'd assume that is what a lot of the twitter reporting actually is.

I totally agree; I'd never turn to twitter for news...well really anything.

I always knew you are a bright lad. 

[derspiess]

The crackdown gathers steam. 

Shocking.

And Awful

[derspiess]

I totally agree; I'd never turn to twitter for news...well really anything.

I always knew you are a bright lad. 

Get a room, you two

[garbon]

Get a room, you two

Don't worry, there's enough of me to go around.