Day By Day

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

also sprach zarathustra -- "Bush, Bush, Kush, Kush"

In Iran an old Zoroastrian ceremony becomes an occasion for popular protest.

The somewhat excitable Regime Change Iran reports:

The Iranian people are conducting their own SHOCK AND AWE campaign against the Mullahs throughout Iran - and have taken the opportunity of Chahar Shanbe Soori to take their country back. If they can continue the fight for at least 48 hours they have a good shot!
...
"Clashes with the Islamic Regimes thugs are taking place across Iran on this day which celebrates an ancient Persian celebration of Chaharshanbe Soori. The people of Iran, despite the Islamic Regimes efforts to eradicate Iranian celebrations, have taken to the streets in the masses to take part in this great celebration.

Sounds of firecrackers are heard throughout Iran.

In Tehran a large crowd is moving towards "Rajaei Shahr Prison".

Callers describe some areas as "war zones"!

The power of some fireworks have crushed the windows of shops and government buildings in the vicinity.

Fires are lit in the streets.
....
Cars are being put on fire.

The financial institutions of the Islamic Republic are being attacked and put on fire.

Pictures of the Islamic Republic's leaders are being burnt.

Slogans against the Islamic Republic and its leaders are being shouted by the people.

People are burning tires in the streets and the Islamic Regimes thugs have attacked people, other disciplinary forces such as the "Pasdaran" have stood by on the sidelines as the people of Iran celebrate this POLITICAL CELEBRATION!

Gunshots are being heard in major Iranian cities.

Another police car in Tehran has been lit on fire.

Hundreds of people have been arrested but hundreds of thousands of Iranians have demonstrated tonight that they are willing to stand up to oppression by all means and they shall continue their demonstrations, against the anti-Iranian Islamic Regime, throughout cities across Iran!

In Esfehan people are calling for people to converge at the Hotels in which the OPEC representatives are staying at (Hotel Abbas is one of them...)

Demonstrations are taking place in all provinces across Iran from Kurdestan, Azerbajian, Khuzestan, Mazandaran.....

Wow! It doesn't get any more exciting than that!

Read the whole thing -- with photos here.

Hat Tip Publius.

Now the crucial question: "What does this mean?"

We have seen a number of spontaneous and planned demonstrations against the Iranian government, most of them student-led. But none has amounted to much so far. They do seem to be increasing in frequency lately and popular pressure for change does seem to be building.

Iran Press News reports today:

According to received reports from various cities in Iran, today which marks the first celebration of the Iranian New Year's Festival of Fire was met with celebrations as well as huge protests and demonstrations against the Islamic regime of Iran. The protestors chanted: "We need no Sheikh or Mullah, we curse YOU - RUHOLLAH!"

A report from Tehran: Young celebrants today set scarecrows in the likeness of various Mullahs, such as Khamenei, Rafsanjani, Khatami, Sharoudi, Jannati, etc. on fire in the streets. They cried out slogans such as: "Referendum, referendum, this is the people's dictum."
....
An eyewitness reported that despite severe crackdowns by the Revolutionary Guards and storm troopers, people bravely came out of their homes to celebrate.
....
In one of the grassy knolls, in a suburban area of Tehran, large bonfires were lit and people danced around it and continued chanting the various slogans in defiance of the Mullahs and their henchmen. It is reported that the local Mullahs in various areas of several areas have locked themselves in their mosques fearing the crowds who continually and collectively shout out their slogans.

In several other parts of Tehran, revolutionary guards who have blocked off roads in order to stop cars carrying passengers of various groups from joining others. However people have begun parking their cars and have joined their fellow celebrants on foot. The guards however have become frightened by the force of the people. In this specific area several non-Iranian journalists were also present with their film crews, reporting.

In another area of the city people took to setting the French flag on fire while chanting: "Europe is finished and so are their Mullahs." OR "Bush, Bush, where is Bush?" (In Persian this rhymes: Bush, Bush, kush, kush!).

I particularly like the touch of burning the French flag. There's much more. Read it here.

Iran Focus reports:

The authorities brought in State Security Forces to create an atmosphere of fear, causing tensions to spark, leading to riots and clashes in several districts throughout Tehran.

"Khamenei resign! Get off your thrown", youths shouted, as the government unleashed its Revolutionary Guards to crack down on the demonstrators.

Residents reported that pictures of Maryam Rajavi and Massoud Rajavi, leaders of the Iranian opposition, were being distributed throughout Tehran and other major cities, including Mashad, Tabriz, Isfahan, Rasht, Lahijan, Hamedan, Arak, Sanandaj, Babol, Boukan, Saqqez, Mahabad, and Baneh, as SSF agents attempted to contain the demonstrators.

Anti-government protestors defied the government ban also chanted slogans in support of the National Liberation Army of Iran (NLA), according to local Tehran residents.

In Isfahan, youths clashed with SSF and Bassij agents, as authorities tried to prevent protesters from lighting up bonfires. Hit-and-run clashes continued until midnight, eye-witnesses reported.

Thousands of people gathered in Vali-Asr Square in the city of Tabriz to celebrate the fire festival. Young people set off smoke bombs and sonic booms.

Clashes were reported at Abressan Junction, where a huge crowd assembled.

A number of districts of the city of Karaj were turned into hubs of anti-government protests by young people, who set fire to several patrol cars of security forces. In some districts, young people chanted “down with the dictator” and “down with Khamenei".

Among the displays in the capital, residents reportedly placed miniature banners on dogs in the streets of Tehran, mocking Iran's lame-duck president, reading, "Khatami, we love you! Iranian Dogs Association".

Read it all here.

There has been little confirmation of this from the MSM, but the accounts of massive civil disturbance throughout Iran have been piling up. Something interesting is going on there.

Keep tuned.

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