Metousiosis

The internet, primarily through Twitter, Flickr and Blogs, has provided some excellent coverage of the ongoing protests in Iran in reaction to what is perceived as a corrupt election. Although I do not condone the violence that has arisen in these protests, I am proud to see that Iranians are fighting for their rights and the promise of democracy. Below is one of the many striking photographs from the Boston Globe’s Big Picture that helps to chronicle the demonstration.

From The Big Picture:

Following up from last Friday’s entry about Iran’s Presidential Election, Tehran and other cities have seen the largest street protests and rioting since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Supporters of reform candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, upset at their announced loss and suspicions of voter fraud, took to the streets both peacefully and, in some cases, violently to vent their frustrations. Iranian security forces and hardline volunteer militia members responded with force and arrests, attempting to stamp out the protests – meanwhile, thousands of Iranians who were happy with the election outcome staged their own victory demonstrations. Mousavi himself has been encouraging peaceful demonstrations, and called for calm at a large demonstration today (held in defiance of an official ban), as Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has just called for an official inquiry into accusations of election irregularities. (Update: several photos of injuries from gunshots at today’s rally added below)

Countdown with Keith Olbermann provided an interesting perspective on the current situation, as given below:

It is sad to see that it is suggested that the investigation will be a wash due to the divine endorsement by the ayatollah; this is why a secular government is so critical to a democracy.