Protestors flee riot police in Isfahan. Protests have continued unabated in Iran today and the police have continued their brutal crackdown on the protests throughout Iran.
Dear All,
I hope you are well. Welcome to window 66 and thank you again for all your kind and supportive messages.
Two Events Announced on Mousavi’s Facebook page:
* Commemoration of the death of those who have died while protesting the results of the election, tomorrow, Thursday, June 25, 5 pm, at the tomb of the founder of the Islamic Revolution.
* Launching green balloons to turn the skies of Iran green, Friday, June 26, at 1pm.
A Very Interesting Prediction by a Political Scientist
* Mehdi Noorbaksh, a political scientist at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania and the son-in-law of longtime opposition leader Ebrahim Yazdi is of the opinion that a run off to the election between Mousavi and Ahmadinejad is still possible. His reasons are:
1. The Guardian Council accepted election’s irregularities a few days ago and indicated that it involved 3 million votes.
2. Ali Larijani, the head of the Iranian parliament, is trying to convince the leadership on the side of the supreme leader to give national TV time to Mousavi to talk to the Iranian people.
3. There are reports that Rafsanjani has succeeded to get the signatures and support of many of the high clerics in Qom in denouncing the election.
4. The time for the Guardian Council’s investigation of the vote fraud has been extended for five more days, possibly to gain more time in negotiating a solution to the conflict.
5. There are reports that divisions within the Revolutionary Guard are beginning to surface. There is speculation that one of the commanders, Afzali, has either resigned or been removed from his post.
6. Rallies are expanding in many other cities of Iran, and street demonstrations have not diminished in Tabriz, Isfahan, Kermanshah and other cities. Although the size of the demonstrations is smaller, they are more violent and forceful.
7. The killings of demonstrators will definitely result in more defiance and bolder actions of the protesters and gain more legitimacy for the green movement.
You can read his full article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2009/jun/24/iran-crisis.
Isfahan in the Election
* The beautiful city of Isfahan has witnessed many historical events. In ancient and modern times, the city has always been at the heart of political activity. A day before the election, the city hosted Mr. Mohammad Khatami the Iranian reformist ex-president. He arrived in Isfahan to campaign for Mr. Mousavi and was greeted by a crowd estimated well over 100,000 in the historic Naqsh-e Jahan Square. See the picture below for a fantastic shot from this rally, then click here to see a powerpoint show of some of what Isfahan has witnessed since then: Isfahan Before and After the Election.
Isfahan Greets Khatami at a rally for Mousavi one day before the elections. Click on the slide show above for some pictures from Isfahan since election day.
More Arrests
* At least 70 university professors have been added to the large number of detainees in Tehran, after they had a meeting with Mousavi.
Personal Reports from Today’s Demonstrations
*Today’s demonstration seems to have been attacked forcefully. Below is a brief eyewitness account posted on Twitter (http://twitter.com/PersianKiwi) which gave rise to the fear of a massacre. It read:
“they were waiting for us – they all have guns and riot uniforms –it was like a mouse trap – ppl being shot like animals.“
While this report may be the accurate observation of one individual based on chaos and hearing gun shots, later contact with Iran has confirmed wide use of teargas and one death. Mr. Mousavi’s facebook has posted a 2:16 minute video of the today’s protests in Baharistan square. Towards the end, you will get a good view of the crowd: http://www.facebook.com/mousavi?ref=mf.
Better Videos of Today’s Demonstrations
* Also check out this video: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/jun/24/iran-election-unrest.
Mr. Karrubi’s Suggestion
* Mr. Karrubi has suggested that two separate days be devoted to two separate peaceful rallies, one by supporters of Mr. Ahmadinejad, and one by supporters of Mr. Mousavi and compare the turn out.
Image of the Day from the Baharistan Square Protests
A picture from the Baharistan Square protests today.
* FYI: the protesters burn garbage cans to reduce the effect of tear gas.
I hope I’ll have better news tomorrow.
Good night.
Fatemeh
===================================
Fatemeh Keshavarz, Professor and Chair
Dept. of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures
Washington University in St. Louis
Honorary Co-Chair, Iranians For Peace
Tel: (314) 935-5156
Fax: (314) 935-4399
==================================
