Video of protestor being beaten; re-affirms the chants of “vahshi” Probably the most heart-wrenching video I’ve seen yet. One of the riot-police has a shirt-less protestor by the neck, before pushing him into the ground and pummeling him mercilessly. People wander by, and there’s a clear conflict: do you step-in and risk our own well-being? do you yell at the riot-police, as one woman seems to do? or do you walk away knowing the next one beaten could be one of yours?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbqVvLuEcJQ


Additional Resources There are many sources of information on today’s events: Enduring America, as usual, has an excellent live blog on today’s events: http://bit.ly/bLWJ8w IranNewsNow, has a great twitter feed and interesting stuff over at: http://www.irannewsnow.com/2010/02/live-blog-22-bahman/ Homylafayette also has videos and commentary including an eyewitness account from a blogger who tried to attend demonstrations: http://bit.ly/9w4g3R One of our personal faves, Pedestrian, always has something interesting to say. She talks about how the sound from Azadi was not broadcast on Iranian State TV and that the images were not live. And of course there is always Josh Shahryar at Nite Owl is ever vigilant: http://bit.ly/c18lvo The Hype is also keeping tabs on today’s events: http://bit.ly/cAgCME


Divide and Conquer Rahe Sabz has an amazing photo up from Sadeghiyeh Square — the site of many of the early reports of violence — that shows regime forces in a v-formation moving through the crowd. Sadeghiyeh Square was supposed to be the starting point of a Green march to honor the anniversary of the revolution.


“Basiji Vahshi Shohdeh”

A sudden rush of “Basiji Vahshi Shohdeh” (the Basiji have become savage/ruthless/brutal etc) bursts forth from a crowd of demonstrators.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMy33y9H6fM

 


All Lined Up Another telling video by @onlymehdi. The sounds of amps clash with the sounds of opposition voices as the camera pans and pauses on a tightly huddled group of riot police, complete with plastic-visored helmets and batons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrHnfKOtCRM


@onlymehdi published a video showing protesters chanting “Political prisoners must be released.” Let’s hope that someone is listening! The video is available on youTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AKLsIq42Vg.


Motorcade

Watch a procession of uniforms on motorcycles ride through the streets of Tehran.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOap8EmwT8c


Down with 22: Video of Protestors on a Tehran Metro

It took a couple listens to figure out why the “Marg bar Dictator” (Down with Dictator) chants in this video don’t sound quite as they have in the past. Instead these protestors riding the Tehran metro chime in with a clever slant rhyme, “Marg bar Beestohdoh” (Down with 22), most likely in reference to the date and it’s significance (22 Bahman – anniversary of the Islamic Revolution).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RgfIvmQBh0


REFERENDUM!

In this video taken in Tehran today, people are chanting for a referendum, referring to the recent calls from Karroubi’s party for a national referendum. According to the Green Voice of Freedom:

The statement by the National Trust Party [Karroubi’s party] argues that “the current situation in the country is” far away from the “ideals” that the Iranian nation were searching for during the revolution. It also divides the current problems in the country into seven groups and states that in order to move away from the current stalemate, all these obstacles need to be accounted for.

Karroubi’s party believes that the use of religion as a tool, religious and ethnic discrimination and inequality, ignoring the will of the people in governance, use of violence in solving disputes, violation of the constitution and the judiciary’s role and an infringement on people’s freedoms are among the causes of the recent crises.

The video is available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpGK75UMIQI.