Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., June 20, 2009 Sivan 28, 5769 | | Israel Time: 05:16 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Focus U.S.A. Travel Week's End Anglo File
Share |
Last update - 07:24 19/06/2009
Hundreds of thousands take to Iran's streets for candlelight protest
By The Associated Press
Tags: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran 

Hundreds of thousands of protesters wearing black and carrying candles filled the streets of Tehran again Thursday, joining opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi to mourn demonstrators killed in clashes over Iran's disputed election.

The massive protest openly defied orders from Iran's supreme leader, despite a government attempt to placate Mousavi and his supporters by inviting the reformist, and two other candidates who ran against hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to a meeting with the country's main electoral authority.

Many in the huge crowd carried black candles and lit them as night fell.
O
Advertisement
thers wore green wristbands and carried flowers in mourning as they filed into Imam Khomenei Square, a large plaza in the heart of the capital named for the founder of the Islamic Revolution, witnesses said.



Press TV, an English-language version of Iranian state television designed for foreigners, estimated the crowd at hundreds of thousands and said the people listened to a brief address from Mousavi, who called for calm and self-restraint.

A Mousavi Web site said that the crowd exceeded one million.

Independent witnesses said that, based on previous demonstrations at the site, the size of the crowd appeared to be in the hundreds of thousands. Foreign news organizations are barred from reporting on Tehran's streets.

The demonstrators had marched silently until they arrived at the square, where some chanted Death to the dictator! one witness said. Press TV showed protesters making V-for-victory gestures and holding pictures of Mousavi and signs that say "Where's our Vote?"

A participant told The Associated Press by telephone that the rally stretched for more than 5 kilometers through downtown Tehran from the square.

Photos posted online showed Mousavi talking through a portable loudspeaker, dressed in a black suit and dark blue shirt as he raised a hand to address the massive crowd. The participant confirmed the authenticity of the images.

He described watching a sea of people march across a bridge in a constant
stream for three hours.

"I remember one old man talking about how the will of the people has started and no one can stop it," he added.

The participant and the witnesses spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of government retaliation.

On their way home, some demonstrators held a candlelit gathering in front of Tehran University, where Mousavi supporters have accused pro-government militia of attacking students in dormitories.

On Monday, hundreds of thousands turned out in a huge procession that recalled the scale of protests during the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Seven demonstrators were shot and killed that day by pro-regime militia in the first confirmed deaths during the unrest.

After dark Thursday - as they have done on other nights this week - people went to their roofs and chanted, "Mir Hossein! in support of Mousavi, and God is great!"

Ahmadinejad released a largely conciliatory recorded statement on state TV, distancing himself from his past criticism of protesters, whom he compared to dust and sore losers after a soccer match.

"I only addressed those who made riot, set fires and attacked people," the statement said. "Every single Iranian is valuable. The government is at everyone's service. We like everyone."

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has urged the people to pursue their allegations of election fraud within the limits of the cleric-led system. Mousavi and his followers have rejected compromise and pressed their demands for a new vote, flouting the will of a man endowed with virtually limitless powers under Iran's constitution.

Trying again to satisfy the protesters' demands, the main electoral authority invited Mousavi and two other candidates who opposed Ahmadinejad to a meeting. Iran's al-Alam Arabic television channel said the three candidates would meet with the Guardian Council on Saturday.

The unelected body of 12 clerics and Islamic law experts close to Khamenei has said it was prepared to conduct a limited recount of ballots at sites where candidates claim irregularities.

Mousavi, who has said he won the election, says the Guardian Council supports Ahmadinejad and has demanded an independent investigation, as well as a new election.

The council's spokesman, Abbasali Khadkhodaei, said Thursday that it received a total of 646 complaints from the three candidates who ran against Ahmadinejad in the June 12 election.

The council provided few other details, but the large number of complaints raised the possibility that even a limited recount could turn into a far larger and messier exercise than the government desires.

The regime has blocked communication channels, such as Web sites and mobile phone networks, to make it more difficult for Mousavi supporters to organize protests. The mobile phone network in Tehran appeared to go down at the start of Thursday's demonstration, as it has intermittently since shortly after the election results were announced. Text messaging has been blocked almost constantly since Friday.

There have been widespread accusations of nighttime attacks on Mousavi
supporters by pro-government militiamen, and protesters attacked a militia building after one rally, but both sides have been restrained, with uniformed police and other security forces standing by as protesters march calmly.

Monday's massive gathering was followed by three days of marches along main Tehran avenues, presenting one of the gravest threats to Iran's complex blend of democracy and religious authority since the system emerged out of the Islamic revolution that brought down Western-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

The ruling clerics still command deep public support and are defended by
Iran's most powerful military force - the Revolutionary Guard - as well as a vast network of militias.

But Mousavi's movement has forced Khamenei into the center of the escalating crisis, questioning his role as the final authority on all critical issues.

The wild card is former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, who heads the Assembly of Experts - a cleric-run body that is empowered to choose or dismiss Iran's supreme leader. Khamenei is Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's successor, and the assembly has never used its power to remove Iran's highest authority.

Rafsanjani was a fierce critic of Ahmadinejad during the election, but has not publicly backed Mousavi. It is not known whether Mousavi has actively courted Rafsanjani's support or if they have held talks.

But Iranian TV has shown pictures of Faezeh Hashemi, Rafsanjani's daughter, speaking to hundreds of Mousavi supporters, carrying pictures of Khomeini. A group of hard-line students rallied outside the Tehran prosecutor's office Thursday, accusing Rafsanjani's daughter and his son, Mahdi, of treason, state radio reported.

Protesters have focused on the results of the balloting rather than
challenging the Islamic system of government. But a shift in anger toward
Iran's non-elected theocracy would sharply change the stakes and become a
showdown over the foundation of Iran's system of rule - the almost unlimited authority of the clerics at the top.

The Iranian government directly accused the United States of meddling in the deepening crisis. A statement by state-run Press TV blamed Washington for intolerable interference. The report, on Press TV, cited no evidence.

Despite wide coverage of unrest, foreign media have not been able to provide any evidence on a single violation in the election process, state radio said.

State TV on Thursday broadcast the purported confession of a man accused of conspiring with U.S. forces in Iraq to bomb targets inside the country.

U.S. officials shrugged off the allegation of interference. President Barack Obama said he shared the world's deep concerns but it was not productive, given the history of U.S.-Iranian relations, to be seen as meddling.

The two countries severed diplomatic relations after militants seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran following the Islamic Revolution.

The government has blocked certain Web sites, such as BBC Farsi, Facebook, Twitter and several pro-Mousavi sites that are vital conduits for Iranians to tell the world about protests and violence. Many other sites, including Gmail and Yahoo, were unusually slow and rarely connect.

Mousavi has condemned the blocking of Web sites, saying the government did not tolerate the voice of the opposition.

In a statement, Google Inc.'s video-sharing site, YouTube, reiterated that its guidelines do allow clips depicting violence in Iran because of their journalistic merit. YouTube generally bans clips with graphic or gratuitous violence, but has made exceptions for video with educational, documentary of scientific value.

The limitations being placed on mainstream media reporting from within Iran make it even more important that citizens in Iran be able to use YouTube to capture their experiences for the world to see, the company said. Given the critical role these videos are playing in reporting this story to the world, we are doing our best to leave as many of them up as we can.

Iranian Press TV said Khamenei would lead the weekly prayers ceremony on
Friday. There was no immediate word whether Ahmadinejad would attend, but
attends the service whenever Khamenei gives it. Al-Alam said the three
presidential candidates also confirmed they would attend.


Related articles:
  • Mossad head: Iran riots won't escalate into revolution
  • Mossad: Iran will have nuclear bomb by 2014
  • ANALYSIS / Frequent changes in assessments on Iran nukes confuse public
  • Tens of thousands amass for Mousavi rally in Tehran
  • ANALYSIS / Don't write off Iran regime just yet
    • PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
    Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Iran soccer protest
    Protest by members of Iranian national team is particularly embarrassing for Ahmadinejad
    Bruno premiere
    Sacha Baron Cohen holds 'royal' premiere in London for gay Austrian fashionista
      1.   At least in Iran, the reformists showed up 09:26  |  Natallie Durson 18/06/09
      2.   MOUSAVI WILL NOT BE THE MAN 11:33  |  indrajaya 18/06/09
      3.   1* Wrong Again 14:26  |  Deano 18/06/09
      4.   Eyes are watching Iranian government 19:34  |  American 18/06/09
      5.   THIS ARTICLE EXPLAINS IRANIAN DEMOCRACY NICELY 22:47  |  Ian 18/06/09
      6.   Is Iran a totalitarian state in the sense of Hannah Arendt? 22:52  |  fritz t. 18/06/09
      7.   Iranians refuse to take seriously the Americans 22:55  |  Paul 18/06/09
      8.   Palestininas demonstrating? 00:29  |  HL 19/06/09
      9.   Paul - American Support for Democracy 00:30  |  Mark Lincoln 19/06/09
      10.   What to do? 00:36  |  Mark Lincoln 19/06/09
      11.   Wow! Israelis could learn. 01:14  |  WHG 19/06/09
      12.   Mousavi has an opportunity to create history 02:16  |  Peter Williams 19/06/09
      13.   Interesting move 03:04  |  Mark Lincoln 19/06/09
      14.   The Palistinians DID vote 03:09  |  ffgg 19/06/09
      15.   One of the great things about Israel 03:13  |  RfaelMoshe 19/06/09
      16.   HL #8 03:28  |  BRL 19/06/09
      17.   Irans president stole every election he has won 03:39  |  he bullys the people 19/06/09
      18.   Confused, very 05:36  |  Confused 19/06/09
      19.   Short run - Long run 05:57  |  Hank N Tennessee 19/06/09
      20.   Heads up, Natallie (#1) 07:10  |  Morris Valentine 19/06/09
      21.   if mousavi`s movement wins, not much will have changed; BUT... 08:58  |  eric 19/06/09
      22.   New Elections ... so what ? 22:54  |  The Teacher/Instruct 19/06/09
      23.   fake election 03:50  |  only dummies beleive 20/06/09
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    hotel Jerusalem
    David Citadel Hotel, come stay at the finest of Jerusalem hotels.
    ISRAEL ARMY SURPLUS STORE
    IDF insignia,Uniforms, Paladium Boots Watches, Israel Army T-shirts & Collectibles
    Dead Sea Skin Care
    Quality cosmetics from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 12% off!
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    More Headlines
    02:13 Lieberman: Palestinians use settlements as an excuse
    23:26 Obama: Iranians should be free to demonstrate
    00:21 U.K. summons Iran envoy over Khamenei `treacherous` slur
    00:14 Tehran residents defy Ayatollah, shout 'God is great' from city rooftops
    17:45 Iran interactive - images, videos, and Tweets from the streets
    11:29 Mubarak: Obama has put Arab-Israeli peace within reach
    10:55 Israeli troops humiliate Palestinians - and put it on YouTube
    20:58 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel
    01:27 Vatican slams claim Jews preventing beatification of Nazi-era pope
    23:57 Four-year-old girl drowns at Dead Sea resort
    00:49 U.S. intelligence 'unequivocally opposed' to parole for Pollard
    19:15 Livni: Annapolis process should be continued
    01:57 Lieberman has a vision for first stage of peace talks
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
    | Israel 2009 election results | Makom: Engaging on Israel
    | Search engine marketing
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved