100's of thousands march in silence through Tehran to protest the election legitimacy and the clerics are beginning to call for an inquiry into the results.
Top Cleric Calls for Inquiry as Protesters Defy Ban in Iran (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/world/middleeast/16iran.html?hp)

I've always maintained that the average urban Iranian is a fairly moderate and westernized sort of person. The few I've known certainly have been.

Anyway, I sure wish them luck. I racked my brains trying to think of any instance in the world where a corrupt election result was actually successfully overturned... came up with nothing. Seems like it usually ends up with the current regime just getting vicious and clinging to power tenaciously.

We can only hope for a civil war.

I racked my brains trying to think of any instance in the world where a corrupt election result was actually successfully overturned... came up with nothing.

Philipines. Circa 1986.

We can only hope for a civil war.

No!

You should NEVER hope for civil war.
Of all evils that can happen to a people that has to be the worst as it rips apart the very fabric of society.


Eri

I'm actually hoping for a peaceful either recount or redoing the election entirely (and fairly) and a realization by the Guardian Council that they're probably going to get thrown out sooner or later, might as well make it sooner.

But this is good for the rest of the world to see Iran's people stand up and demand real democracy. Proves they're not a bunch of backwards crazies for the most part.

Of all evils that can happen to a people that has to be the worst as it rips apart the very fabric of society.Exactly!

Oh wait, it's our fault!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/16/international/i012505D39.DTL&tsp=1Iran accuses US of meddling after disputed vote

(06-17) 13:18 PDT TEHRAN, Iran (AP) --

Iran accused the United States on Wednesday of "intolerable" meddling in its internal affairs, alleging for the first time that Washington has fueled a bitter postelection dispute. Opposition supporters marched in huge numbers through Tehran's streets for a third straight day to protest the outcome of the balloting.

The Iranian government summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents U.S. interests in Iran, to complain about American interference, state-run Press TV reported.

The English-language channel said the government called Western interference "intolerable."

A crackdown on dissent continued, with more arrests of opposition figures reported, and the country's most powerful military force — the Revolutionary Guard — saying that Iranian Web sites and bloggers must remove any materials that "create tension" or face legal action.

But supporters were undeterred in their support of reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has called himself the winner of the June 12 election. Amateur video and state television footage showed thousands of people marching along an overpass in Tehran in support of Mousavi, a demonstration that swallowed several lanes of traffic and appeared to stretch for many blocks.

archers flashed the victory sign or carried placards, and some were dressed in green — the color of Mousavi's campaign.

It was the third day in a row that Mousavi supporters have taken to the streets, and he called for another demonstration on Thursday — a direct challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the cleric-led system.

ousavi is calling for the election to be declared invalid and held again.

In an apparent sign of solidarity with Mousavi, several Iranian soccer players wore green tape on their wrists Wednesday during a World Cup qualifying match in South Korea that was televised in Iran. Among those who wore the tape was captain Mehdi Mahdavikia.

ousavi's Web site said seven Iranian players wore the bands in the first half, although most were forced to take them off before the second. Iran and South Korea drew 1-1.

The game was televised in Iran but authorities have been trying to control information about dissent, blocked Web sites, jamming satellite signals and barring foreign media from leaving their offices to report on demonstrations on the streets of Tehran.

Blogs and Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter have become vital conduits for Iranians to inform the world about protests and violence.

The BBC said the jamming of its broadcasts had become "progressively worse," with its BBC Arabic television and other language services knocked off the air at various points by interference traced to Iran.

A spokeswoman said traffic for both the Voice of America's Persian language service and Radio Farda sites had increased by 200 percent since before the election but radio and for television jamming persisted.

Videos and photos posted by people inside Iran show scenes of violence that have not been reported through official channels. The new media restrictions make it virtually impossible to independently verify much of the information, which includes dramatic images of street clashes and wounded demonstrators.

uch of the imagery has been posted anonymously. In other cases, those who have posted have declined to be identified due to fear of government retaliation, or cannot be reached due to government restrictions on the Internet and mobile phones. One such image, purportedly from the southern city of Shiraz, showed crowds walking in the street around a burning motorcycle that some say belonged to pro-government militia members who attacked protesters.

ousavi and reformist former President Mohammad Khatami wrote a letter to the State Security Council, the country's highest authority on internal security, to complain about attacks on protesters by plainclothes "basiji," a paramilitary force under the Revolutionary Guard.

ousavi said militiamen had been smashing windows, setting cars on fire and attacking people with batons, iron chains and bars and authorities had been blaming Mousavi supporters.

He also wrote to the head of the judiciary to complain about attacks on protesters and arrests of activists from their homes.

The Revolutionary Guard, an elite military force answering to Khamenei, said through the state news service that its investigators have taken action against "deviant news sites" that encouraged public disturbances. The Guard is a separate military with enormous domestic influence and control of Iran's most important defense programs. It is one of the key sources of power for the ruling establishment.They suppress dissidents with violence and choke off any free expression, and they're blaming us for the angry crowds.

We should be used to it by now.

Well, one thing you've got to say about the Iranians, they give 100% to performing their civic duty. Sometimes more.

---------

Iran election turnouts exceeded 100% in 30 towns, website reports (http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2009/jun/17/iran-election-rigging)
At least 200 polling stations across Iran had participation rates of 95% or above, say sources of centrist Auyandeh site

Robert Tait
Wednesday 17 June 2009 16.12 BST

Turnouts of more than 100% were recorded in at least 30 Iranian towns in last week's disputed presidential election, opposition sources have claimed.

In the most specific allegations of rigging yet to emerge, the centrist Ayandeh website – which stayed neutral during the campaign – reported that 26 provinces across the country showed participation figures so high they were either hitherto unheard of in democratic elections or in excess of the number of registered electors.

Taft, a town in the central province of Yazd, had a turnout of 141%, the site said, quoting an unnamed "political expert". Kouhrang, in Chahar Mahaal Bakhtiari province, recorded a 132% turnout while Chadegan, in Isfahan province, had 120%.

[More... (http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2009/jun/17/iran-election-rigging)]

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