On 11 February 2010 (22 Bahman) there were large protests in several cities across Iran despite the Islamic regime of Iran’s brutal crackdown.
In weeks prior to the day, the regime arrested and threatened political activists, women’s rights campaigners and students. Former political prisoners were summoned and threatened with prosecution for the ‘crime’ of ‘enmity against God’ if they were caught participating in the protests. On 11 February, too, the regime’s forces came out en masse and brutally attacked protestors and arrested around 1,000 people in Tehran alone.
Despite its repression, video footage shows protestors pulling down posters of Khamenei and trampling on them and clashing with the regime’s security forces. Slogans of ‘Down with Khamenei’ were even heard during Ahmadinejad’s speech and had to be censored when being broadcast on state television. Protestors even managed to entirely take control of some neighbourhoods for a while and there were reports of women unveiling and trampling on their veils. Groups of protestors also tried to march on to Evin prison to demand the release of political prisoners but were brutally pushed back. There were a number of reports of shots being fired in the crowds and video footage of at least one protestor killed. Security forces also shot paint pellets in the crowd for identification purposes.
There were also huge protests in cities across the world in solidarity with the people of Iran and against the Islamic regime. Some protests were met with arrests and police brutality. In London, Iran Solidarity UK activist Bahar Milani was arrested along with a number of others though she and the others were subsequently released without charge.
Iran Solidarity’s actions were broadcast via various media outlets, including in interviews with Patty Debonitas on CNN and Maryam Namazie on ITN.
Once again, protests showed the resolve of the Iranian people for freedom despite the all-out repression of a regime fighting for its very survival.
Iran Solidarity calls on people everywhere to continue their unequivocal support of the revolutionary movement in Iran to rid Iran and the world of a medieval theocracy. We also call for the isolation of the regime and the shutting down of its embassies.
Notes:
1. To see some key video footage of February 11 protests in Iran, see below:
* Footage of ‘Government Supporters’:
Below you can see a video of crowds bussed in to hear Ahmadinejad’s speech. Whilst some were obviously the regime’s rent-a-mob and mercenaries, many were also forced to attend for a variety of reasons, including keeping their government jobs. This video shows at least a section of the crowd more interested in sleeping, sightseeing, playing football and chatting then listening to Ahmadinejad’s speech. Also close to the end of the video, there is a flag on the ground with the ‘Allah’ in the centre torn out…
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxHwpESlpqA&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
* Security forces out on the streets en masse:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4q5YwNBHng&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gthsruf11Jc&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRzNDLfB7Sg&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb0NHWew6B4&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
* Footage of attacks on protestors:
Here is footage of a protestor who has been shot in the face:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObZ7gkp_2So&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
Here is footage of police brutally beating a protestor:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hq_K7oSu_Q&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
Here is footage of a protestor with a bloody head:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8elM3sVpJ_s&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
Here is footage of teargas being used on protestors:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7gCHlEsFxU&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
* Despite the crackdown, below is footage of protests, including of clashes with the regime’s security forces:
You can see protestors trampling on Khamenei’s poster:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfb_O-pU_98&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
Protestors and baseejis clashing:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzLCAyxrHV0&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBBqC4UJons&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEc87lXsM00&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eVmApIo0X8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odwF70B_Z4U&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cubk0dHvIwQ&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0mF5WBf9-8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mFgQg5eba8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfeYlFlI0ks&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
* The slogans often heard included:
Political prisoners must be released
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_taQRD5JgZI&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
Death to dictator
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsQi-u0c89A&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
Guns, tanks and baseeji are no longer effective
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su2NKM-Se4Q&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
We didn’t give lives for reconciliation
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkAXp3WqCic&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
2. Video footage of protests in London:
* Maryam Namazie speech at London rally:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7hnQgjh0nU&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
* Shiva Mahbobi, Maryam Namazie, Sohaila Sharifi, Bahram Soroush and block traffic at London rally; Shiva is arrested and later released.
* Bahar Milani is arrested for trying to throw red paint on the embassy:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftrT7_jRw1Y&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX-dyVPJCWI&hl=en_GB&fs=1&]
* To see photos of protests in London and other cities, visit Iran Solidarity blog.
3. Support Iran Solidarity and its demands by signing up to our petition.
4. Sign up to the Manifesto of Liberation of Women in Iran.
5. Join our daily acts of solidarity with the people of Iran. Since Monday July 27, we have organised acts of solidarity EVERY SINGLE DAY. It is easy to join in – just videotape or photograph yourself doing something and send it to us to upload to our blog. You can see other acts on our blog.
6. Join rallies and events in various cities against the executions and the Islamic regime of Iran, including every Saturday. You can find out about such protests on our blog.
7. Set up Iran Solidarity groups in your neighbourhoods, workplaces, universities and cities. So far we have groups in Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the UK. Like the solidarity committees during the anti-apartheid era, these committees can be instrumental but we need many more in every city in the world for that to happen.
8. For more information or to send in your daily acts of solidarity, contact:
Maryam Namazie
Iran Solidarity
BM Box 2387
London WC1N 3XX, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 7719166731
iransolidaritynow@gmail.com
www.iransolidarity.org.uk