TEHRAN, IRAN – Whenever the riot police charge, waving their batons, with their shields to the fore, people run down the streets to escape.
The black-clad riot squad move in phalanxes on motor-bikes, riding up on the pavements, swiping at passers-by. You don’t have to be a protestor to get hit.
On Sunday morning, we ended up running with a crowd and hiding in a stairwell. A young man invited us upstairs to his office.
Like many Iranians I’ve met in the last few days, he was fed up of the old order, and had voted for Mir Hossein Mousavi, the alternative candidate. But he wasn’t amongst the youths on the streets, throwing stones at the police, because he had no hope that it would bring change.
“There’s no leadership,” he said. “Mr Mousavi will not lead us because those who control the country are more powerful than him. Everything is in the hands of the Supreme Leader.”
Other journalists are also getting help from unexpected quarters. One reporter told me how a young woman had taken him home so he could use her internet. “I don’t think her mother was very impressed,” he said. “I mean, what did she say? Hey, Mum, I met this foreign guy at the riot. Mind if he comes in?”
In the afternoon, hundreds of thousands turned out for the rally in support of President Ahamdinejad. A young man saw us trying to make our way through the hordes to find a high point from which to film and took it upon himself to help.
He couldn’t speak English but he parted the crowds for us and indicated we should follow.
I assumed he was an Ahmadinejad supporter, because he was at the rally and carrying the national flag, which the president’s campaign appropriated for themselves.
When the cameraman was filming, our new friend suddenly indicated that I should look at his mobile phone. A picture flashed up. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Then another. It was the Shah and his wife, an official portrait from back in the 1970s, before the Revolution.
If the authorities knew he was carrying such pictures, he would surely get into trouble. But it is one of the strange things about critical events like this, when fear and excitement mingle, that people suddenly trust foreigners and let them know things they might keep from their best friend.
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[...] reports are also featured on the PBS Newshour in the United States — wrote this morning in a blog post that even some opposition supporters in Tehran fear that protest is useless since power is so [...]
Very interesting. Thank you for the insight. Please keep blogging!
Glenn in Alabama, USA
Iranians are naturally v. hospitable – it’s a tradition that a traveller is made welcome, so the story of a journalist being invited into someone’s home is no surprise at all. I visited Tehran about a dozen times around 10 years ago. If I was there on my own for any time, I would always be invited home by someone for dinner. I was always struck by how different the reality of Iran was from the myth, and how no-one at all wanted the government they had. Above all though, they did not want another revolution. By now nobody under 30 will remember the revolution and know at first hand what it was all about. Given this is estimated to be 60% of the population, a lot of disaffected people may not have this reticence any longer. The majority of people I met were very well educted and informed. They will know what repression is doing to them, and I suspect their tolerance for it will wear very thin.
Keep up the good work Lindsey!
Any news on what is happening in Mashhad? I was there last year & was struck by the outspoken comments by young, well educated people, about their lack of choices in life in modern day Iran. One young lady (speaking perfect English) spoke particularly of the lack of opportunities. No one I spoke to had much hope with the current political situation.
What surprised me was that they would be so outspoken to a complete stranger with their colleagues around. I have to sat there was no sign of a “police state” stopping open discussion.
However it does suggest that the groundswell for change is much deeper than many in the West realise.
I was meant to back in Mashhad on Saturday but “chickened out” when I saw the possible crisis developing. I regret that now as perhaps what Iranians need most now is support from their friends elsewhere.
It is a wonderful country & the young deserve far better. They have the means to make their country a place where they want to live rather than try to “escape” abroad.
I fully respect the need for respect to religion in Iran but holding back the aspirations of the young isn’t the way forward. It isn’t the solution in my humble opinion.
Thank you Lindsey Hilsum for your inside Iran reporting. I have since seen further reports from you on Channel 4. The main thing is for our media to keep up the pressure on Iran’s government for democracy for an Islamic Republic, which is probably contradictory. The whole of Islam is brought into disrepute by the antics of dictators backed by a hard clerical system. Come on other Islamic countries, come to the defence of those oppressed by Islamic governments worldwide just for having a different religion or the desire to express an opposite view. If Allah is all compassionate, why does this not seem to be reflected in Muhammed’s follows.
Lindsay
Keep up with the good job. but i need to remind something. lets use the word people and not protesters. The Iranian people do not want Mr Ahmadi-Nejad. It is not just a bunch of protesters.
Yours
Hamid
I think what we may find in the days to come is the gradual change in the protestors’ chants. In the first night the chants were mainly about peoples’ support for Mousavi – the second evening the crowd got more daring and chanted ‘DEATH TO THE DICTATOR’ and at today’s’ huge demo the chants were ‘Give us our National Flag Back’ referring to the Sun & Lion flag of Iran – a nationalist symbol of Iran/Persia’s glorious past and Iran’s national symbol for more than 3000 years. Of course this was all changed after 1979 when Sun & Lion were removed from the flag and ‘Allah’ replaced it.
The point I’m trying to get to in a 2:48AM kind of way is that Mousavi is / was only a catalyst that’s triggered this mass unrest – the actual motivation is what Iranians want most: complete separation of Mosque from the state. This is their main objective and this is why Mousavi will be dumped as the movement’s leader as the events get more animated on the streets simply because their main issue is with Islamic Republic way of governance and the absolute rule of jurisprudence as personified by Khamenei.
What we see and witness on the streets of Iran are not the protestations of a bunch of disgruntled ‘Moderates or Reformists’ but rather the awakening of an entire people who no longer accept that they can be oppressed, lied to and brutally suppressed ALL in the name of Islam.
I think the best way to objct to the injustice of Islamic republic is using GANDHI”S ‘ STRATEGY . Peace and non violence or ” Non-REACTION”.
If all the people who voted for Moosavo wear “WHITE CLOTHING ”
( reminder of peace to themselves and to the worlds” and walk in the streets around the world while holding the feeling of PEACE and freedom in their HEARTS. THIS WAY WE ARE USING THE MOST POWERFUL FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE. Then watch the effect of this divine energy all over the world !!!!! By feeling the peace inside of us, we will bring it out to the physical…. ” BE THe CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN TH E WORLD, Gandhi ”
Islamic republic might be able to hide te number of votes but this way they CAN NOT hide the number of people in the streets . Gandhi’s strategy is a higher conscousness way to deal with any injustic.
If you agree please forward this to all Iranian BLOGS , Twitters, etc….
Thank you…Elham
what is the best way to support democratic protest and free expression in iran. the tv news makes it seem like a nation in turmoil. the current administration will to work hard if protests are to avoid becoming increasely violent. the uk and other interested adminstation must put all the diplomatic pressure possible to get the Iranian governent accept the need for change.
hi everybody
you can read the news of tehran. here.
http://www.greenidea.ebo.ir
www,reenidea.ebo.ir
thank.
pls say to everybody
Dear Vahid
I wish I could read your website. Any chance of this in English?
Peace to you!
Winstone
Dear Lindsay – Thank you for your presence in Tehran. We know the regime would love you and the free press out of there. We now have the hypocrisy of the visit to Russia – excellent allies along with North Korea, with another attack on the United States by Mr Ahmadinejad, who are really keeping their self-control over this guy and these events in Iran.
Once more I appeal to all Islamic states and Muslims worldwide, come to the defence of the People of Iran and let us all see the peace and goodwill that you all seem to talk about. Isn’t Islam big enough or mature enough to take criticism with the death penalty or imprisonment? Do you really believe the clerics can dictate how you live and think and breath?
Who is this Matthew Richardson of Press TV, who seems in denial concerning the events in Iran and that the results of the election were probably true. Perhaps his job would be on the line if he said what he really knows about a country where arrest and torture has been the norm for so long.
Why then to the police and security forces attack in such force the universities and the artists of Iran, the people who are at the seats of learning and culture, who question and reject the tyranny of the present leadership and please list for me, someone, anyone, what has Mr Ahmadinejad actually done for the poor of his country?
Don’t stop asking the questions?
Love you Lindsay!!!!
Winstone Perrotton – Tufnell Park
marg bar diktatur!
real freedom for all people of iran.
this does not seem like 1999, the people know this is their chance for freedom – and this time technology can help expose the truth.
enough of a regime that represses so many of its citizens – women, minorities.
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