(The Pedestrian Blog) | March 10, 2010
The Pedestrian is an excellent blog providing insightful pieces on Iranian culture, politics and life.   Highly recommended by Iran News Now.
Emad Bahavar [1979] is a political activist, writer and the head of “Supporters of Khatami and Mousavi” in the 2009 presidential campaign. He was arrested shortly after the election, [...]

[2:12 AM (August 6) Tehran Time]
On the night of Ahmadinejads inauguration as President-Select, the people of Iran protest against the regime by chanting “Allah-o-Akbar!” and “Down with the dictator!” from their rooftops and balconies. One cannot help but feel awe-inspired by their bravery:
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H8EGyzd8o0]
[1:52 AM (August 6) Tehran Time]
A full-page ad has been taken out [...]

Mousavi, prime-minister in 1980s, said detentions could not halt the pro-reform movement.

“The killings and arrests are a catastrophe, people will not forgive those behind such crimes,” Mousavi said, adding: “I am sure the judiciary is not informed about many arrests.”

“The country of 70 million cannot become a prison for all of them. The more they arrest people, the bigger this movement becomes.”

From its origin 30 years ago as an ideologically driven militia force serving Islamic revolutionary leaders, the corps has grown to assume an increasingly assertive role in virtually every aspect of Iranian society.

And its aggressive drive to silence dissenting views has led many political analysts to describe the events surrounding the June 12 presidential election as a military coup.

“How do they try to say that they do not confront people violently or to blame others? All of this took place in front of people’s eyes,” Karrubi told supporters, according to Aftab. “They kill the youth in front of people’s eyes and then say that they didn’t have firearms. As a member of this system, I am embarrassed of these thoughtless and clear lies.”

Mr. Khatami’s comments amounted to a bold challenge to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has dismissed the opposition’s claims that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s landslide victory on June 12 was rigged, and has ordered protesters to accept it.

“This movement isn’t going away anytime soon, but it may not manifest itself as we’ve seen as of late,” said Trita Parsi, president of the Washington-based National Iranian American Council.

But how it will play out is up for debate, with some experts recalling the Islamic revolution that overtook Iran 30 years ago, while others liken the opposition players to the civil rights champions who rocked the United States.