Latest Iran Video: The 13 Aban Protests (4 November --- 3rd Set)

Latest Iran Video: The 13 Aban Protests (4 November — 4th Set)
Latest Iran Video: The 13 Aban Protests (4 November — 2nd Set)
Latest Iran Video: The 13 Aban Protests (4 November — 1st Set)
The Latest from Iran (4 November — 13 Aban): Today Is The Day

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Another Video of Karroubi's Arrival at Rally

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLShLX0y84E[/youtube]

Azad University, Qazvin

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XVdavbHivs[/youtube]

Tabriz

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUhghnsOdqI[/youtube]

Protesting and Hiding from Security Forces

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqjHcQQrxrY[/youtube]

"Ya Hossein! Mir Hossein!" in Tehran Metro

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TToTuwv3Spc[/youtube]

Surrounding a Basij

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxTMCh58_SM[/youtube]

Crowd Rally in Tehran

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Gy1aXzZ1Q[/youtube]

Security Personnel Beat Women

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5s4iXeQOkE[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfJyPOCiLy8[/youtube]

Tabriz

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPM7cGAjJFA[/youtube]

Ferdowsi University, Mashaad

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhZzx8mYqTw[/youtube]

Tehran, Vali-e Asr Avenue

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRQ-ppt_82A[/youtube]

Tehran

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN4bJ84B_wg[/youtube]

Comments

[Isabel]

I hope you can do it!

[Cecil]

My heart cries out when I saw that basijis beating a helpless woman. No respect for women at all. Even that guy who just want to help that woman was also beaten up. What kind of evil people are this basijis? I wish I was there to get back to those basijis. I dont mind if I get killed as long as I get some of them to show to the world how evil this people are.

[kmac]

How do all those people just stop and watch basijis beat women.

I just don't get it.
I really don't.

[Truth]

You mean trashijis! Scenes like this only strengthen the anger and resolve that fuel this movement.

[Adam]

I agree with kmac. As brilliant and effective as Mousavi's non-violent resistance has been, I think after seeing what happened today the Green movement needs to be more aggressive. You won't be able to get people out onto the streets if you stay quiet while the regime beats them, arrests them, and even kills them.

[Megan]

Kmac,

Let me, if I can, address your question.

Iranians have been beaten to a pulp, if not physically psychologically, by people in position of authority for decades. Position of authority could be government, street bullies, clergies, a person in uniform such police or military, teacher, school principle, parents, family members, boss, foreman, you name it. Being scared of people in position of authority, especially when trapped is in the DNA of most (if not all) man and women in Iran. Superficial respect, respect out of fear, for authority figure is also in their DNA. For many of us in Western culture this is hard to grasp.

The DNA of younger generation, however, seems to be going through some reengineering. You see them dare to say “fight us and we fight you back.” When it comes to delivering on that promise, however, when faced with force of authority they run away. The young man in this video that comes to the rescue of that woman is the best example of younger generation breaking out of the old mold. The old mold, however, prevails as we witness in the video- quickly another woman comes to the young man rescue and pleads with the authority figure, the riot police, to forgive the young man and let him go. Notice she and others on the sideline could have jumped in and beaten the hell of those thugs but instead they just made nice with the thug (superficial respect) and walked away. This blows our minds and we cannot fully grasp it because we have not lived in a culture that bows to authority.

My other observation: This younger generation has been born in captivity, if you will, and have lived under occupation for all their lives. Some if not all may suffer from Stockholm syndrome and identify with their captors and on the subconscious level have empathy for them. They are not completely and conclusively defying their captors but are choosing a different actor in the same system as their saviors- chant of support for Mousavi and Karroubi.

Another ting worth mentioning most of the people we see in the crowd were either born during the 8- year Iran –Iraq war or they were small children. They lived with the constant fear of being bombed and learned to survive by running and taking shelter some place safe. This is too much trauma for a young child. As adult they are shell-shocked without recognizing it.

Considering all of these traumatic experiences, I think they are doing marvelous in voicing their revolt. They are doing what their older brothers and sisters could not have even imagined to be possible a few years ago. My heart aches for them and I want them to get what all of us have – the opportunity to live their lives the way they want it and not the way they are told. I hopelessly hope that they get some help from somewhere to get better organized and be better equipped as this is a war. As others have mentioned and I fully agree with them, peaceful demonstration will not generate the right result. They need to fight the thugs like thugs.

[Hami]

I was in this place and saw all things. violence was more dangerous than these pictures. about whom asked "why people do not do any action for this women?" i should tell you if you had attacked by basijes before, you would not say this words.
in last violence my head's bone damaged and i have some problems in my eyes. and can no see my around as well. we try to tell to world " we are not as same as ahmadinejad's team.

I love all of you.
Hami

[Homa]

I am devestated to see these pictures and what I can not understand is how the President of U.S.A. and other so called civilized countries could even consider holding discussions with an illeagal president and government who are not the choice of the people, and are using every means to hurt, kill, rape and destroy the peoples lives and aspirations for freedom.

Do not ask how can people stand by and watch the women being beaten, as you have not experienced the terror which they feel and live in every day. Ask what you can do to help the people of Iran, even if it is by telling the people of the world that it is a just not fair or just to stay silent and say or do nothing to help.
I am proud as an Iranian to witness the struggle of my people for freedom

[Megan]

Hami,

Hi. Hope you are okay. I thank you for what you do and I marvel your determination to stand and fight for your freedom. I do not know how old you are. If you are 40 or younger, you are fighting the war your parents should have fought. If you finish off this regime (dolat), your children will not have to fight your war. This regime must go and must go soon. The longer they stay in power the harder it will be to send them to hell.

If people in Europe or U.S. ask why Iranians do not help people who are being beaten by Basiji is not because we are blaming you it is because we care about you. We do not want to see you getting beaten up every time you demand your rights. We are on your side and we want you to win. I understand it is not easy to fight an armed person with empty hands but you should be clever finding a way to win.

I do not see these demonstrations leading to a victory. If anything these thugs are getting better organized and have become bolder since June because they have not endured any pain and have not suffered any losses. If anything, they have got a raise in their salary, they have been getting paid for working overtime (extra hours), and they were decorated for doing a good job. Some of their commanders were even promoted and got better jobs.

People of Green Movement have to put a clever plan together if they want to win. I know economy is not good in Iran but if I was in Iran and wanted to protest (rahpaymaei) knowing that Basijii plans to hurt me and kill me, I would not go out if I could not protect my head and chest from baton and bullets. For example, I would not go out without wearing a helmet and bullet proof vest. Or I would not go out if I could not defend myself with a taser gun (electric baton that are as small as a cell phone). I do not know if they sell them in Iran. If they are not sold in Iran, then I would use other means of self defense. This is a war and not a walk in the park. No soldier goes to the war zone without the right gears.

I want to tell you we all admire the courage and the bravery of all Iranians. You have won the hearts and the minds of people everywhere in the world. Since Khordad 22 (June 12) people are making a distinction between people of Iran and that mafia government of Iran. There is no iota of respect for Islamic Republic. Islamic Republic now means Torture, Rape, Execution, and Murder. Thanks to you and other Iranians this mullah government has been exposed for what it always was a bunch of thugs.

I am sure with some good tactical planning and continued civil disobedience you eventually prevail. You know what I would like to see one day? I would like to see all women during demonstrations take off their head cover and overcoat put them in a pile in the middle of the street and burn them. I would like to see a massive general strike where everybody stays home from school and work for a week or two. I would like to see everybody together stop paying their water, electric, and phone bills. If everybody stays home or not pay their bills, government cannot do a thing.

Please take care of yourself. Since you say you have difficulty seeing after being beaten on the head, if you have access to a doctor please get a MRI and see if you have any swelling. Please take care of yourself and let us know how we can help.

[ange paris]

Hami
we love you too and are very proud of your bravery, you our people inside the country; in your position, I will send a letter to the leaders of opposition, asking them how to behavor next time not to be the game of these savages; it's really not fair !! hugs

[Cecil]

I admire the courage and determination of the Iranian people in their pursuit of freedom and democracy. Despite government warnings and threats, they still went out and protest against the government. What I would like to see is the protesters to stand firm when the basijis tried to attack them. In this way, this thugs will have a second thought if they continue attacking or not because they knew they are greatly outnumbered.

But what happened is, when the basijis are coming they started running in different directions and bad for those who are left behind because it will be easy for the thugs to beat them one by one. This had been their tactics before, scare the protesters, let them scattered and beat them one by one.

My heart sanks when I saw someone beaten mercilessly by this thugs specially the women. Next time you should be more organized and ready for any events. I know that it's easy for me to say this because I was not there to experience the real situation. But the way I saw it, your organizers (if there is) did not utilize fully the real power of the "People Power" like what happened in the Phillipines in 1986.

[pessimist]

@megan at 11:02

>I would like to see all women during demonstrations take off their head cover and overcoat put them in a pile in the middle of the street and burn them.

And the rest of your post, I did actually wonder myself if that was the reason. Thats so important for people, as it's not just the politics, it's the life of habit, that is not easy to lose.

For the head gear, that's something that has been a puzzle to me from the beginning. I have never seen a women without something on her head. And so many in black ! And in the universities! They are continually touching and pulling their scarves or veils. I know it's forbidden and women can be arrested for unvirtuous dress.

So it would be a HUGE sign of protest even if only a few did it but in big groups so that it would be impossible to arrest everyone.

And for skirts too.. There is a French film called "Skirt Day", where a teacher in a school with many muslim immigrants symbolicly wears a skirt against the rule of the headmaster, and takes her unruly pupils hostage with a gun, and they go through all the problems of sexism and racism.

http://www.screendaily.com/skirt-day-la-journee-de-la-jupe/4043011.article

Also a good model for a feminist muslim lady in our present gvt, who brought attention to the plight of young girls who are considered either as whores or submissive ('doormats'). She is very popular throughout the political spectrum, left or right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fadela_Amara

[Hami]

Dear Friends,
ange paris,
Megan,
it is honorable your kind comments and i am pleased reading this words.
As you know, we are in fighting with our parents war. we believe , we can not win without your protect with out side of Iran. our telecommunication is in control. they trace our phone and emails, they filtered all political websites and they filtered sms service. but all people show they are alive and will not sit down until getting them human rights.
i am 32 years old and one of millions victims of Islamic republic. and about paying of bills; your suggestion is good but please pay attention they use petrol monies and it is not urgent this billing. they will break our access to phone, water and electric. i think only way for stopping this wilds is forcing other countries for "DO NOT BUY IRANIAN PETROL" when they have petrol money they can do wha they like. also about MRI, many thanks for your love. some of nerves threats in my head has damaged and i am using some drugs.
i mention again when you are protecting us from out of Iran, we will no give up our rights. your comments charge us to being ALIVE.
I love all of you
Hami