Iran Eyewitness: "The Movement Is Still Strong and Vibrant"

The following was posted yesterday on the discussion board at Anonymous Iran by a regular contributor. I do not know the contributor personally, but an EA source who does assures us of his/her reliability:

Greeting Friends:

Its been a long 40 days since I posted on this great forum. You all know where I have been and I will try to give you all as much information as I can about my trip to IRAN after 25 years of absence.

First, I would like to thank you all for your heart warm prayers and compassion you posted here when I was detained in Iran. I read most of them and they made me cry and happy at the same time. Thanks from bottom of my heart.

Iran Analysis: The Scattering of Protest is Still Protest
The Latest from Iran (2 May): Persistence

When our plane landed in Tehran it was about 5 or 6 AM and to be honest I was nervous, excited and anxious all at the same time. I knew lot of people were waiting for me on the other side and I wanted to get there as fast as I could. But as soon as I reached the passport counter, and after they looked at my passport I was detained by 3 revolutionary guards along with 4 other passengers that I could see. They took me to a room and I was there for about 6 hours by myself and then they took me to another room for questioning.


There were 3 people with plain clothes and one of them began asking me questions. He wanted to know what I have been doing since the faked election and how involved I am with Green Movement and what's my plan when I get back to US. I told them "I am an American citizen and I love my country which I was born in and I am here to visit my family and friends and no matter what all of you guys do to me I have nothing to say today or in the future."

They confiscated my laptop, my cell phone and my camera and they could not find anything at all and I could tell they were all pissed. By the way, I never got them back after I left and they also took my passport when I was detained . I basically told them to fuck yourself and I am ready for any consequences. They called me "dirty American" everyday.

I was by myself for 2 days and on the 3rd day they took me to another room where I met the other 4 people, all Iranian born with dual citizenship. One from the Netherlands, one from Bangaladesh, one from Australia and one from Germany. Then they brought us some food and fresh water after 2 days.

I got to know those people but we could not talk about anything political at all because there were 4 guards in the room at all times. After questioning all of us many more times, we were let go on the 6th day. They told me I have only 30 days visa and have to leave my own country by then. So I called home and my family came to pick me up about 3 AM.

It was a happy time when I went home and it was nice to see everyone after 25 years. But I was very tierd and drained out.

The next day about 6 Am I decided to go to Beheshte-Zahra (Tehran Cemetery) to pay my respects to NEDA and many other compatriots who lost their lives for the freedom and democracy of Iran. It was a day that I never forget. Neda's grave was covered with beautiful spring time flowers, so much so that you could not see the grave stone. So many people would stop by, pray, cry, put some flowers ther and leave. you could not see a dry eye there. The death of Neda impacted my life tremendously and I was powerless while I was there and looking at those beautiful pictures of her by her graveside. I was there for about 4 hours and talk to lots of people and every single of them would curse Khamenei and Ahmadinejad before they left.

About 2 days later there was a Hunger Strike in front of Evin Prison by the families of prisoners and I joined them as well. It was 72 hours strike and so many people showed up that the Police just left us alone and didn't ask us to leave. In those 3 days I learned alot about the people, the regime, and what's really going on in the country.

Everyone knows someone else who has been arrested or turtured or still languishes in jail. Clearly, the economic and political crises are taking a toll on everyone. Tehran was empty during Norouz (Persian New Year). Most everyone had left town for vacation or visit family . But you know, the protests continue. The movement is still strong and vibrant, particularly given the brutality of the regime and its readiness to make good on its threats of violence. Green Movement is not ready to give up the fight just yet.

I visited Shiraz, a beautiful city south of Tehran a week later and it was awesome to see people having fun for at least a few days during these festive holidays. On my 3rd day, there was a demonstration in front of Shiraz University against the regime for jailing some of their students so I joined them and by the end of the day, I was detained again along with most of those students. This time they let me go after 3 days and they warned me not to do it again while I am still FREE. Oh well.....I told them again where to put it.

Today, Tehran is a changed city, with lots of sophistication, a communitas mutually dependent, tolerant form of citizen-activism that is fully conscious of its interests and resistant of tyranny, self-delusion. Meanwhile, Khamenei's dictatorial regime is in near disarray, as each branch of government blames the others for its failure. Its international problems are multiplying and there is no hope in sight. The future blongs to Green Movement.

Tehran also is an expensive town these days and even middle class families have a hard time to make ends meet. The everyday necessities are hard to find. Beef is $12 a Kilograms, chicken is $15 Kilograms. Egg are about $1 each and if you are lucky, you get to buy 6 of them. If you are very rich and wealthy in Iran, you can find anything need very easily. No body I talked to like Khamenei or Ahmadinejad. They talk about Mousavi but they don't think his is their savior. They all want the whole government to change. They don't want an Islamic regime any more. They are aiming for Republic of Iran in near future.

As the plane took off from Teharn Airport, I felt sad that I was forced to leave the country I love so much. I felt my compatriot's heart in my chest. My heart is still very heavy and my tears are still rolling. As Iranians mourn the passing of those who have fallen and reflect on the difficult experiences of the last few months, they should not for one moment lose sight of what has been achieved....I am so proud of them as an Iranian. And we will fight till victory is reached.

We will stop these atrocities, we will get back our dignity, honor, freedom and liberty back from the Islamic, Rapist, Murderer, Criminal Regime. I pray for every single woman and man in Iran everyday. May God bless them with his glory. Amen.

The Latest from Iran (1 May): May Day and Mayday

2030 GMT: In the Dark. Shaky journalism from The New York Times: Nazila Fathi, who is usually quite good, relies on unnamed "analysts" rather than a close look at events to make the sweeping claim:

A planned demonstration in which Iranian teachers and workers were to join reformists in an antigovernment protest failed to materialize on Saturday, apparently the result of intimidation and a large police presence.

Two Iranian opposition leaders, Mir Hussein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, had called Thursday for workers and teachers to join the reformists in a broad-based coalition.

The call went unheeded on Saturday, analysts said, largely because of government intimidation.

The article is inaccurate on a number of key points.

1. There was no call for teachers and workers to join reformists on the streets today; instead there were a series of statements calling for solidarity with the demands of those teachers and workers, highlighting Government repression and Iran's poor economic situation.

2. Mousavi and Karroubi, in particular, did not call for a demonstration today. They are looking towards 12 June, the anniversary of the election, for a public show of dissent.

3. Fathi is quite right about the show of force by the Government to deter protests, but she seems unaware of the incident at Tehran University, with students demonstrating against the visit of President Ahmadinejad, and about the series of smaller, dispersed displays of discontent in Tehran and other cities.

UPDATED Iran Video and Translation: The Mousavi Statement for May Day/Teachers Day (29 April)
NEW Latest Iran Video: Deterring Protests, “Greeting” Ahmadinejad (1 May)
NEW Iran: US Filmmakers Demand “Free Jafar Panahi”
NEW Iran Document: Mehdi Karroubi “The Green Movement is Growing in Society”
UPDATED Iran: Tehran, Defender of Rights (Don’t Mention Boobquake), Joins UN Commission on Status of Women
Latest Iran Video: Shirin Ebadi on the Human Rights Situation (23 April)
The Latest from Iran (30 April): The Heaviness of the Atmosphere

1945 GMT: May Day Updates. We've fixed the coding of today's videos (with the transfer to Disqus comments, our YouTube plug-in is temporarily disabled), and we've posted an updated version of Mir Hossein Mousavi's message, now with English subtitles.


1900 GMT: Your May Day Irony. The top news on Fars News' website for much of the afternoon? May Day protests...in Europe, with "hundreds of thousands of workers" protesting economic conditions.

The story was so important to Fars that it must have diverted staff from its domestic bureau to European coverage, for curiously, there is no mention of any May Day demonstration in Iran.

1620 GMT: The scale of the regime crackdown on dissent has been evident in the limited footage coming out of Iran today. What has gotten out has been shaky film shot at odd angles to avoid detection by the authorities.

We've posted severa clips of the security presence and of students allegedly chanting defiantly as President Ahmadinejad came to Tehran University.

1400 GMT: Clashes? Reza Sayah again quotes a Tehran witness, "Security forces clashed with about 200 protesters chanting 'Death to the Dictator' at the Ministry of Labor." An Iranian activist is also reporting this news.

1330 GMT: May Day. CNN's Reza Sayah quotes Tehran witnesses, "Thousands of security personnel from Revolution [Enghelab] Square to Ministry of Labor. No sign of protests."

1310 GMT: Quote of the Day. "For a Government so sure that Green Movement is over and done with, they have a lot of security out on the streets."

A shaky, secretly-shot video offers apparent confirmation.

1300 GMT: Containing Rights. Human rights activist Hassan Assadi Zeidabadi has been banned from leaving Iran.

1230 GMT: Confirmation? Rah-e-Sabz is reporting that "thousands" of workers protested in Qazvin, 100 miles northwest of Tehran. Another story asserts that "hundreds" have demonstrated in Tabriz against unemployment and poverty.

The website also claims that Tehran University students protested when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived unexpectedly on the campus.

1130 GMT: May Day. We are following the stream of stories of protests in Tehran and in other Iranian cities such as Shiraz and Qazvin. At this point, we are treating the reports as unconfirmed.

0945 GMT: May Day. The first claimed picture of a protest comes from Shiraz.

0930 GMT: Rights and Wrongs. We've posted a separate entry on the petitions by US filmmakers, including Stephen Spielberg, Robert Redford, and Martin Scorsese, calling for the released of their detained Iranian colleague Jafar Panahi.

We have an update on Tehran and the UN Commission on the Status of Women, featuring two of the many statements condemning the vote for Iran's membership.

And we note an open letter from 20 journalists and bloggers in Evin Prison, complaining that their conditions worsen day by day.

0810 GMT: May Day Build-Up. Ahead of possible demonstrations this afternoon, Kalemeh is reporting a growing security presence in Tehran, especially at Enghelab and Azadi Squares. Forces are also guarding the Ministry of Labour on Azadi Street and the Ministry of Interior at Fatemi Square.

Kalemeh also reports that many employers have threatened to fire workers who protest.

0735 GMT: May Day Statements. The reformist Islamic Iran Participation Front Participation has issued its statement proclaiming that the workers' and Green movements will open the way to a better future.

An analysis in Rah-e-Sabz connects the seeking of justice with the seeking of freedom through the demands of labour. It does so in part to deny that the Green Movement is based solely on the "middle class" and, in fact, is built on links with workers.

0730 GMT: Economy Watch. Minister of Economy Mehdi Ghazanfari has said that stocks of cooking fat, rice, and meat will be built up to prepare for the implementation of subsidy cuts.

That sounds like sensible preparation, but building up stocks means less goods available for týsale, which in turn means higher prices.

0725 GMT: Rumour of Day. Aftab News --- which is not a reformist outlet --- claims that future elections will be manipulated to exclude Ahmadinejad's "conservative" rivals: Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Expediency Council (and 2009 Presidential candidate) Mohsen Rezaei, and Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf.

0715 GMT: Mahmoud and Cyrus. President Ahmadinejad's tactics on the eve of May Day? In a speech on Kish Island, he invoked Cyrus, the famous Persian ruler, and said that Iran is waging a fight over "ethics and humanity".

Ahmadinejad added, ethically and humanely, "Today Iran is the world's most powerful nation. We like all nations and are glad to see their prosperity. However, we have a powerful fist that will knock the teeth out of anyone."

0705 GMT: A Deal on Uranium? Reuters dares to go public with the story we've been following for weeks: "Turkey and Brazil are trying to revive a stalled atomic fuel deal with Iran in an attempt to help the Islamic Republic avoid new U.N. sanctions over its nuclear program, Western diplomats said on Friday."

With Turkey Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Brazilian officials both paying visits to Tehran recently, that's not exactly a shocker. The mystery is whether the US Government supports the initiative.

Reuters gives the impression that Washington is opposed, but I'm not so sure. Their big quote is "Nobody's going to stand in the way of serious negotiations. But is Iran serious about this offer? Or is it another attempt to stall for time and avoid sanctions, as has been the case before?" That comes from a "Western diplomat", however, not necessarily an American one and not necessarily one who is close to the discussions.

We'll watch closely and will have an analysis if there are further developments.

0645 GMT: We'll keep eyes open today for rallies and protests on the international day for workers. Indications up to May Day are that, with the tight grip the regime is trying to maintain, demonstrations will be small and diverse, rather than a concentrated gathering.

In recent days, new charges have been brought against Mansour Osanloo, the detained leader of the Tehran and Municipality Vahed Bus Workers Syndicate. Jafar Azim Zadeh, the head of the Free Assembly of Iranian Workers, has been summoned to appear in court, and other activists have been sentenced. Five members of the Iranian Free Workers Association have been summoned to the Intelligence Office in Sanandaj in Iranian Kurdistan. And, on the eve of National Teachers Day, leaders and members including Alireza Hashemi, Ali Akbar Baghani,and Mohammad Beheshti Langarudi, and Tofigh Mortezapour have been detained.

That does not mean, of course, that anger, frustration, and demands have abated. Let the day unfurl.

UPDATED Iran Video and Translation: The Mousavi Statement for May Day/Teachers Day (29 April)

Mir Hossein Mousavi's statement for Iranian workers and teachers, subtitles provided by Khordaad 88:

Iran Document: English Text of Mousavi-Karroubi Meeting (26 April)

Latest Iran Video: Deterring Protests, "Greeting" Ahmadinejad (1 May)

Claimed footage from May Day in Tehran:

Students "Welcoming" Ahmadinejad Visit, Tehran University

"Liberty or Death"



Allahu Akhbar




"The Blood in Our Veins is a Gift to the Nation"



"Ya Hossein, Mir Hossein!"







Chanting "Dictator Be Ashamed of Yourself, Leave Our University" and Singing "My Fellow Classmate"



Security Forces on Streets





Ahmadinejad's May Day Speech

Iran: US Filmmakers Demand "Free Jafar Panahi"

Many thanks to the EA reader who notified us of this petition:

Jafar Panahi, the internationally acclaimed Iranian director of such award-winning films as The White Balloon, The Circle, Crimson Gold and Offside, was arrested at his home on March 1st in a raid by plain-clothed security forces. He has been held since then in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.



A recent letter from Mr. Panahi’s wife expressed her deep concerns about her husband's heart condition, and about his having been moved to a smaller cell. Mr. Panahi’s films have been banned from screening in Iran for the past ten years and he has effectively been kept from working for the past four years. Last October, his passport was confiscated and he was banned from leaving the country. Upon his arrest, Islamic Republic officials initially charged Mr. Panahi with “unspecified crimes.” They have since reversed themselves, and the charges are now specifically related to his work as a filmmaker.

We (the undersigned) stand in solidarity with a fellow filmmaker, condemn this detention, and strongly urge the Iranian government to release Mr. Panahi immediately.

Iran’s contributions to international cinema have been rightfully heralded, and encouraged those of us outside the country to respect and cherish its people and their stories. Like artists everywhere, Iran’s filmmakers should be celebrated, not censored, repressed, and imprisoned.

Signed:

Paul Thomas Anderson
Joel & Ethan Coen
Francis Ford Coppola
Jonathan Demme
Robert De Niro
Curtis Hanson
Jim Jarmusch
Ang Lee
Richard Linklater
Terrence Malick
Michael Moore
Robert Redford
Martin Scorsese
James Schamus
Paul Schrader
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Spielberg
Oliver Stone
Frederick Wiseman