Posted on 09/26/2004 6:10:36 PM PDT by freedom44
TEHRAN (Reuters) - A rare pro-democracy protest in Tehran gained momentum late on Sunday with hundreds of cars pouring onto the streets, blaring horns and provoking an appearance from hardline vigilantes, witnesses said. Local residents said Persian-language television channels from the United States had been broadcasting callers throughout the day who had exhorted Iranians to turn out for demonstrations.
Two hundred riot police were drafted into central Tehran earlier in the day when more than 2,000 people started milling round the streets after a minor protest inspired by the U.S.-based channels, witnesses said.
"There have been callers from all over the place, even from places like Montreal, telling people to go out onto the streets," said one with access to satellite television.
Spontaneous protests demanding greater social freedoms are rare in the Islamic Republic.
A Reuters witness saw dozens of cars near Valiasr Avenue, the tree-lined street that cuts the city north to south, repeatedly honking their horns. Another witness on a footbridge further down Valiasr saw more than 300 cars.
A group of volunteer militiamen arrived on motorbikes but there was no sign of any fighting. Hardline vigilantes crushed demonstrations by student activists last summer.
Eyewitnesses saw a further 300 cars driving up and down Jordan Boulevard, a boutique-lined street popular with the young and wealthy. The occupants made victory signs through the windows and blared their horns.
Earlier in the day, motorists tooted horns in support of what they perceived as a demonstration. A witness said scores of people had been chanting "freedom," clapping and handing out pastries.
He said police had used their batons to push people from the scene but added there had been no fighting.
The ILNA labor news agency labeled the protesters monarchists, loyal to the shah toppled in the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Some of the crowd said they had turned out because of a call by the mystic Ahura Pirouz Khalegi Yazdi, who has predicted the fall of Iran's government on Oct. 1. He broadcasts on a California-based channel and promised to charter aircraft to bring home the Iranian diaspora from the United States.
"Spontaneous protests demanding greater social freedoms are rare in the Islamic Republic."
No Reuters, pro-Democracy protests in Iran that you actually REPORT are rare. Protests are definitely not rare in Iran.
i hope they fall ...
Coup coming....
That October Surprise is going to be a near bloodless coup in Iran. ;-) With the new government coming out and saying that the coup had been helped by Americans following 9/11, for the last 3 years... covertly.
Hey, a guy can dream!
This is nice to hear. The Mullahs are going to be gone soon. Sooner the better. Iran will cause a great shake up for the Muslim world.
With Iraq freed and an open-ended US presence there, and Iran wobbling, maybe there's hope for the Middle East yet.
Iranians are not Arabs and as such may be salvageable.
We will know that Iran has turned around when we witness anti-Islam protests.
But---never, ever trust Reuters to get anything right! I'm waiting to see reports from another source.
They ought to call for truly free elections with opposition parties. "Social freedoms" is probably a phrase that the regime can turn on its head.
I have known that for a long time. Old news to me. Iranians are Aryans and are related to Armenians, Azeri, and Indians. Persians also have blonde or brown hair and blue or green eyes.
Iran ping
ping
The greatest benefit to mankind has come from empires. Whether Persian, Roman British or the now American era, advancement has come about through enlightened hegemony. We are worthy and must sieze our moment.
I lost trust of Reuters a long time ago. They never used the word terrorist after 9/11. Also, they make mistakes on stock prices.
I thought a earlier thread said hundreds of thousands of protesters..
Probably somewhere in between. Reuters massively under reports these demonstrations. I know because i spoke with someone who took part in the last demonstrations he said there was a minimum of 40k, reuters reported 1k.
At least Reuters picked it up.
Hopefully tomorrow (or late tonight) we'll get a more accurate picture of what went on.
Here is the thread ... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1227597/posts
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