News from Iran? Good? Bad? Who knows?

[Oexmelin]

Unless things are over-reported or under-reported in either language media, but according to Radio-Canada's two reporters on the ground, the protest movement is rapidly out of breath: Moussavi has asked to keep it non-violent. It certainly did not look like a revolution in the making - although perhaps a turning point over the nature and form of the protests under the Iranian regime.

[Queequeg]

Unless things are over-reported or under-reported in either language media, but according to Radio-Canada's two reporters on the ground, the protest movement is rapidly out of breath: Moussavi has asked to keep it non-violent. It certainly did not look like a revolution in the making - although perhaps a turning point over the nature and form of the protests under the Iranian regime.

When did you hear this?  Haven't heard anything of the sort.  From what I have heard the protests have been exclusively non-violent while the response has been anything but.  Last I heard there were reports of riots spreading out from Tehran. 

[Admiral Yi]

When did you hear this?  Haven't heard anything of the sort.  From what I have heard the protests have been exclusively non-violent while the response has been anything but.  Last I heard there were reports of riots spreading out from Tehran.

Dude, this thread has pictures of greenboys swinging pipes.

[Sheilbh]

Unless things are over-reported or under-reported in either language media, but according to Radio-Canada's two reporters on the ground, the protest movement is rapidly out of breath: Moussavi has asked to keep it non-violent. It certainly did not look like a revolution in the making - although perhaps a turning point over the nature and form of the protests under the Iranian regime.

This could be true, we'll see what happens tomorrow and, as I say, I've read that the protests have been smaller today to avoid the police, taking place on rooftops and out windows for the same reason and even in cars (lots of protestors go out in their cars and cause a traffic jam that way rather than with their bodies, it's safer).

But the BBC view was that these protests are, for Iran, unprecedented.  I think revolution's too early to say but I think that the regime either clamps down hard or we could be witnessing a revolution.

Edit:  Mousavi called for all protests to be non-violent from the start.  From the images I've seen and reports I've read I think the first protests were.  Since then violent but not hugely so, I believe there's been very few deaths.

[Queequeg]

When did you hear this?  Haven't heard anything of the sort.  From what I have heard the protests have been exclusively non-violent while the response has been anything but.  Last I heard there were reports of riots spreading out from Tehran.

Dude, this thread has pictures of greenboys swinging pipes.

Non-violent as in non-lethal force.  As non-violent as massive, nation-wide riots can be.  On the other side we have the Iranian police shooting people and beating them to death.

[Oexmelin]

When did you hear this?  Haven't heard anything of the sort.  From what I have heard the protests have been exclusively non-violent while the response has been anything but.  Last I heard there were reports of riots spreading out from Tehran.

About two hours ago.

[Queequeg]

When did you hear this?  Haven't heard anything of the sort.  From what I have heard the protests have been exclusively non-violent while the response has been anything but.  Last I heard there were reports of riots spreading out from Tehran.

About two hours ago.

Isn't it about 5 AM there?  Protests are in the late afternoon so they get the most attention from Western Media. 

[Queequeg]

I'm reading English language Twitters now from Iran, the Govt. hasn't shut down access to Twitter.  Sounds like a lot of shooting in the universities. 

Mobile phones are down again.  DK why, people seem confused. 

[Queequeg]

I am hearing a lot of rumors that some of the police are non-Farsi speaking, possibly Arabs.  Lebanese? 


EDIT:  Separate fights at universities in Tehran and Shiraz.  Right now. 

[Neil]

You know, if Iran has a revolution, everything that Bush did as president will be vindicated.

[Josephus]

I am hearing a lot of rumors that some of the police are non-Farsi speaking, possibly Arabs.  Lebanese? 

OMG The Americans have invaded.

[Iormlund]

You know, if Iran has a revolution, everything that Bush did as president will be vindicated.

There's a slight problem with that analysis: Iraq is not the shinning beacon Bush thought it would be. If there's a successful revolution (unlikely) it will actually show how you don't need to go invading countries for democracy to spread.

[Neil]

You know, if Iran has a revolution, everything that Bush did as president will be vindicated.

There's a slight problem with that analysis: Iraq is not the shinning beacon Bush thought it would be. If there's a successful revolution (unlikely) it will actually show how you don't need to go invading countries for democracy to spread.

The elections were run well and fairly.  Comapre this to Iran.  Granted, Iran will always be an enemy of all civilized peoples, but a more democratized Iran is a more isolated Iran.

[Hansmeister]

I am hearing a lot of rumors that some of the police are non-Farsi speaking, possibly Arabs.  Lebanese? 

Indeed.  The Ayatollah's have increasingly relied on shock troops for Hezbollah for security, much more trustworthy than Iranian troops, even the Revolutionary Guard.

[Queequeg]

http://twitter.com/change_for_iran

Iranian Student under siege by Hezbollah forces.  Fuuuuck.