Iranians protest the election results in DC

Ali P.
by Ali P.
14-Jun-2009
 

Iranians of the greater Washington area protest the election results in DC  

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The right protest flag

by Anonymous Oregon (not verified) on

I would like to fly an appropriate Iranian flag to express sympathy and solidarity with the protestors in Iran but do not want to offend with flying the "wrong" Iranian flag... I am prodemocracy not pro Shah or pro Islamic theocracy. Does anyone know whether a green banner or a simple tricolor (with no symbols on it) would be better. And if there is a pro Iranian demonstrator flag, how to get one?


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Move!

by Shahabirani (not verified) on

Salam,

Today, Tuesday, June 16th, Union Square, San Francisco, 6 pm!

Please get out there and convey Iranian's massage to the world, wherever you are!
Now is the time!
Tell every body to do the same, please!

Shahab


IRANdokht

HG

by IRANdokht on

I wrote that blog on saturday before any bloodshed had started. Hind sight is 20/20 I know and you're so smart to have known that there would be bloodshed. I didn't! I saw people excited and gathered on the streets, upset about the election results and I wrote the blog explaining that I did not have all the facts and I did not know what was going on behind the scenes. You tend to overlook that detail because you have personal issues that started on a completely different post where you made up your mind about how to respond to me. It's ok, lets get to the passage of my blog that you quoted below:

"Nevertheless, the election was a victory for Iranian people because it's process opened discussions and put forth a brand new wave in Iran's political scene."

Are you denying that this is the first time that political debates are broadcasted on TV and that a lot of rules have been broken? When was the last time anyone dared speak negatively of the president or Hashemi Rafsanjani, or when did anyone blame any other for stealing or being a liar or being corrupted in IRI or even before them?  Isn't that a huge change in the political scene of Iran? isn't that a positive change that people can express their disappointment with the regime to a level that all foreigners can see and hear even with all the indifference they are showing? Doesn't that change the image of Iran in the world? you don't think that's BIG!?  

I wrote a blog when all this was new and I spoke of my doubts about the way we see things from afar. You want to make that an excuse to kick me out of other discussions. Do you see who the hypocrite is yet?  

IRANdokht


hamsade ghadimi

iran"dokht"

by hamsade ghadimi on

here are excerpts of your blog and my take:

"Nevertheless, the election was a victory for Iranian people because it's process opened discussions and put forth a brand new wave in Iran's political scene."

If you call the current bloodshed and humiliation of the Iranian people a big victory, think again.

 "At this point, the question is how these next four years would be different from the last four. Will the ruling hardliners soften up with the knowledge of the growing moderates and fear of being removed from power? will they come down hard on people and take up an even more radical foreign policy?"

here’s where you move on and tacitly accept ahmadinejad’s victory with your “let’s move on” speech.  no one is stopping you from doing your double-talk. I’m just exposing it.


minadadvar

Dear Ali

by minadadvar on

Thank you so much.  It makes me feel so good to see so many people participating in the demonstration.  

Please post the times/locations of the future demonstration.  I missed this one.  Thanks 


IRANdokht

marching towards democracy HG way...

by IRANdokht on

HG says:  when one is chanting for democracy, one should not be trying to restrict others in expressing their opinions.

HG says:  you missed the point of election and voting. i don't know why you even concern yourself with the conversation of protests of the vote.

should we all pray for people like you to lead us towards democracy? 

Just to be clear whether I go to the protests or comment on someone else's post is none of your concern and you can't make me not join this conversation or any other. 

IRANdokht


Ali P.

HG

by Ali P. on

   I totally agree with you , but you also need to bear in mind, some occasions belong to all, and if there has been an injustice in Iran,and if I, as an Iranian (Shahi/MKO/Communist/religeous...) see it my duty to protest, I will, even with my pictures and flags and symbols. You may perceive my view as the wrong one, and part of the small minority, but I exist, and I will make sure that the world knows, I exist.

What I don't have the right to do, is take advantage of the crowd and join them, when they obviously do not want me next to them.

The person who spoke at the end, has every right to set the rules for HIS next gathering: Anyone who wants to come to OUR gathering, needs to adhere to our rules: No flags, no symbols. Those who are OK with those rules go, and those who don't , shouldn't go.

This is democracy in action. Live and let live :-)

Yours,

Ali P.


hamsade ghadimi

ali p., irandokht

by hamsade ghadimi on

ali,

i do agree that when one is chanting for democracy, one should not be trying to restrict others in expressing their opinions. it is a question of sensitivity to the situation, and not using symbols to create disharmony. you're right that the demonstration was unorganized and no conditions were set prior to the demonstrations. however, one person who spoke at the end set that condition for future demonstrations (no shah, or mko symbols). let's hope people will listen.

irandokht,

for someone who admits that the elections were "tweaked" (your blog) and the elections probably would have gone to a second round, you were too quick to declare a "big victory" for the people of iran and move on to 4 more years of ahmadinejad. i think you missed the point of election and voting. i don't know why you even concern yourself with the conversation of protests of the vote. 


Ali P.

HG

by Ali P. on

 The occasion was to stand up for the Iranians' vote, and that was what the protest was about. I believe everyone was welcome to protest the alleged fraud. I personally didn't vote, but I was there to ask the officials to count the votes of those who did vote.

(At one point someone locked hands with me , and asked me to shout "Mousavi, ra'yeh mano pas begeer", and I had to excuse myself, and tell him, in good conscious, I could not do that, because I did not vote :-) 

 The monarchists did not have any pictures with them and I am not sure if the old flag represents monarchy. Had it been a little more organized, the respective leaders could have the line drawn, and have people stand where they thought they belonged. It is a free country and everyone's opinion should be free to be expressed, but in a civilized manner.

  Some think the 1st amendment allows every opinion to be expressed, in any way, anywhere, and any time. Not so!

 I talked to people from both camps who were trying to dominate over the other. I told them neither group had a permit, and if there was even a slight chance of tension or violence, D.C. police, rightfully, would dispurge everyone, and no one gets to exercise their 1st amendment right!


Darius Kadivar

IRANdokht Galore ... ;0)

by Darius Kadivar on

Madame VOUS n'Aurez PAS NOTRE LIBERTE DE PENSER !

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJY8fhGTMU0

Cordialement,

Darius KADIVAR

Paris FRANCE

 


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Look at these shah supporters

by Anonymouss (not verified) on

Never miss an opportunity to make it about themselves. Classic. What a bunch of fools. Did anyone bring tea? It must get exhausting to be such freedom fighters, no?


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this isnt outside the Iranian Ambassadors office is it?

by Damon Jaan (not verified) on

i see the bikes, but where is the justice enforcement???? no way,,, if this was 1979 and u hippies came to my embassy, id come out with a heckler and koch G-3. i mean peace. Cool video...feed the oppressed and bleed the power.


IRANdokht

I agree

by IRANdokht on

"...all iranians participating in such a demonstration be more sensitive to the situations and leave symbols of their particular organization behind."

we had the same discussion today in LA. These symbols could compromise the Iranians who demonstrate in Iran. Once they're labeled, the violence will definitely be elevated and justified by the regime.

at some point towards the end of our demonstrations the groups mixed. I could only find this short clip online:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy6enE8Zw68

Thanks for the video Ali P. 

IRANdokht


hamsade ghadimi

ali p.

by hamsade ghadimi on

i was there too. i agree that for the most part, it was peaceful. however, i felt that the pro-shah people were the classic 'free riders' in the demonstration. i also agree that the demonstration seemed to be unorganized which was to be expected; and yet, you saw that the pro-shah group were more organized. as you can see in the video, they had plenty of imperial flags to hand out to like-minded people.

i don't think that all those that were not pro-shah were necessarily pro-islamic republic, pro-mousavi, or even had voted. but they had enough common ground to be united: showing solidarity for those in iran who are bearing the humiliation and violence directed at them by the fascist iri regime. the pro-shah people seemed to have another agenda (at least it seemed). the pro-shah group had more to gain by waving their flags alongside the main group. the main group had more to lose by being labeled as a bunch of outdated pro-shahis.

you may agree with me if a few mko sympathizers with big placards and pictures of rajavi were mixed in the crowd. i hope that all iranians participating in such a demonstration be more sensitive to the situations and leave symbols of their particular organization (shah, imperial flag, rajavi, khamenei, mosadegh) behind. having said that, i think pictures of mousavi was not inappropriate since it was topical.

last note, i think that the most poignant slogan of the day that captured the intention of the demonstration was: "hamvatan, hamvatan, hemayatat mikonim."

by the way, thanks for the heads up for advertising the demonstration beforehand.


Ali P.

To: Hamsadeh Ghadimi

by Ali P. on

I was.

There were a couple of tense moments, but for the most part, it went well.

There were a few slogans, not everyone agreed on:" Nah shah meekhaaym nah Ahmadi, Democracy, Democracy" was responded by "Nah Moosavi,nah Ahmadi, democracy, democracy"!

The majority, about 400 (pro-Mousavi, and who were careful not to cross the red lines) lead the demonstration, folllowed by a group of- I would say- about 60, whose slogans were against the "Islamic Republic".

  Neither group was crazy about the presense of the other one, and each person had his/her own idea of what democracy and free speech was.

 The "Lion and Sword" flag seemed to be another point of dispute: One group viewed it as the "Imperial" flag, and the other as the 'true' Iranian flag.

 The demonstration was, understanably, unorganized. No one wanted to appear as a supporter of the other group. Their seperation seemed to be the proper way to go.


hamsade ghadimi

ali p.

by hamsade ghadimi on

were you there for the entire event? if so, i like to know your opinion about the scuffles between the pro-shah group and the majority of the protesters. thx.