Iranian Alert -- DAY 30 -- LIVE THREAD PING LIST [Riots erupt]

Live Thread Ping List | 7.9.2003 | DoctorZin

[nuconvert]

Have you been to RaceBannon's IRAN UPDATE: NYC RALLY FOR IRAN? He said there were about 2,000 people there and he has great pictures. I just stopped by there. He did a great job. Take a look when you have time.

[norton]

Khashayar - are you out there?

[DoctorZIn]

...Kudlow and Cramer had a very good piece on Iran tonight!!!!!!!!!! ...

Please thank them and ask them to continue following these events.

[DoctorZIn]

We are all concerned for Khashayar.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I am getting worried, now. Praying for his safety.

[forty_years]

Brave Iranians Mark Anniversary Despite Government Crackdown

[DoctorZIn]

Good post.

[DoctorZIn]

Tehran jammed by protesters

BBC
7.9.2003

Disturbances have taken place in Tehran, as protesters marked the anniversary of a raid on a student dormitory.

Thousands of motorists, many with their families, converged on the city centre near Tehran University after nightfall, sounding their horns and forming huge traffic jams.

The whole area was swamped by security forces, including riot police, regular police, plainclothes men and hundreds of hardline vigilantes on motorbikes, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Tehran.

The Iranian authorities had taken stringent measures to try to head off trouble on the anniversary following 10 days of late-night protests against the Islamic regime last month.

Wednesday's protest marked the fourth anniversary of a raid on a student dormitory in 1999 by police and right-wing vigilantes, which triggered several days of violent street riots.

On Tuesday, there were occasional clashes and other incidents and a number of people were arrested, but there seemed to be no focal point for the trouble and no real crowd as such since most people were in their cars, our correspondent says.

There were reports that tear gas was fired to disperse protesters.

One report said official security forces clashed with right-wing vigilantes and tried to keep them away from the demonstrators.

Safety measures

The authorities had jammed the transmissions of American-based TV and radio stations run by Iranian anti-regime exiles, who had in the past directed people to protest sites.

The authorities also apparently disabled the mobile phone system in the immediate area of the demonstration, and closed down the university's campus earlier.

In the disturbances last month, vigilantes attacked protesters with clubs, chains and knives, causing many injuries and provoking bitter protests from student leaders and some reformist politicians.

Neither the student groups nor the reformist movement are supported theses protests, despite their own great unhappiness with the current situation in which a hardline minority has been blocking the changes for which many millions of Iranians voted, our correspondent says.

Many student leaders were also detained in advance of the anniversary.

Three of them were marched off with pistols to their heads by bearded gunmen after giving a news conference on Wednesday morning.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3054355.stm

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Feel free to copy and paste the following email to send to the president and your senators. They must hear us!


Dear Mr. President,

I am writing you to state my full support for Senator Sam Brownback and Congressman Sherman's amendment to the FY ‘04 Foreign Relations Authorization Act, known as the “Iran Democracy Act,” and ask that you vote in favor of the bill. (S.R. 1082 and H.R 2466)

The Iranian people have repeatedly voiced their desire for freedom from their tyrannical government and have expressed their support for regime change.

Furthermore, the so-called reform movement in Iran has failed the Iranian people's aspirations. We need to conduct a dialogue with the Iranian people and not with their corrupt leaders. It is obvious now that this regime will not go away on its own and outside intervention is absolutely necessary in order to achieve real democracy in Iran.

As the foremost proponent of democracy in the world, the U.S. faces the single biggest opportunity for a peaceful democratic revolution in Iran. We must actively support the Iranian-American democracy dissidents in their push for a referendum – for a whole new government.

I ask that you support the Iranian people’s struggle for liberty and vote yes for the “Iran Democracy Act.”

Sincerely,
XXXXX

[DoctorZIn]

This just in....

I am again at NITV headquarters.

I am happy to tell you that we are getting reports from within Iran that they are getting the broadcasts. People are still having trouble calling into the station, but at least they can see the broadcasts.

It is now morning in Iran and therefore in a few hours we should begin seeing fresh news reports of the events of last night.

I will keep you posted as events warrant.


"If you want on or off this Iran ping list, Freepmail me”

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Thank you!

[nuconvert]

I liked this:
"President [George W] Bush gave a speech in which he said he would go beyond the so-called moderates in the government of Iran.
"He's already given up on the hardliners in the first place and gone right to the Iranian people, and some of the words that President Bush has uttered in his speeches are ricocheting throughout Iran and coming back out of the mouths of the demonstrators, such as the phrase 'the unelected mullahs of Iran'."

Phrases like that have been beamed into Iran by satellite TV channels, particularly those run by exiled Iranian opposition groups in the United States."
(from "U.S Accused over Tehran Protest" by Pam O'Toole) (BBC)

[nuconvert]

Thanks

[GOPJ]

You're right, they need all our prayers.

Prayers for the Iranians and their noble fight for freedom.

[GOPJ]

You're right, they need all our prayers.

Prayers for the Iranians and their noble fight for freedom.

[SevenofNine]

RACKKK ITT Doctor alright I think we seeing beginning of revolution

[Eala]

By comparison it's a small thing, but my photos from the Seattle demonstration last night are finally live at: http://eala.freeservers.com/iranrally/.

[JulieRNR21]

On Sky News:

IRAN POLICE FIGHT STREET BATTLES


Police have faught running battles in Iran's capital between hardline Islamic vigilantes and pro-democracy youths.

The three-sided running street fights took place near the capital's Tehran University.


A witness said police had fired tear gas at groups of youths near the campus and also fought fist fights with plainclothes Islamic militiamen to prevent them from engaging in further running battles

[Valin]

The United States is a dog and Britain is its tail, Iran's powerful former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was quoted as saying Wednesday in his latest colourful reference to the Western allies.


Absolutely! A very large dog...with big teeth.

[McGavin999]

Great news Doc. I'm anxious to hear what really happened.