Change for Iran is twittering. TehranLive (h/t SCSU Scholars) has photos:
Slide show at Le Monde.
Video of the demonstration protesting the results of the election:
And of the rioting,
The UK’s Telegraph:
Iran elections: revolt as crowds protest at Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s ‘rigged’ victory
Iran’s clerical regime is facing open revolt as riot police clash with huge crowds accusing them of fixing the vote that returned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power.
Oppression:
Police dispersed the crowds, beating up both male and female protesters. But by nightfall there were still sporadic disturbances across the capital, with palls of smoke rising across the skyline from burning tyres. As darkness fell, victorious Ahmadinejad supporters cruised the streets on motorbikes, shouting victory. Onlookers said they had not seen such disturbances since Iran’s student-led uprisings in 1999, and their scale showed the potential for the showdown to spill over into further challenges to the Islamic establishment.
In an attempt to quell the rising political tensions, Iran’s supreme spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged the nation to unite behind the president and accept the result, calling it a “divine assessment”.
At the same time, the nationwide text messaging system stopped functioning, the mobile telephone network seemed blocked, and several pro-Mousavi websites were blocked or difficult to access. Text messaging is frequently used by Iranians – especially young opposition supporters – to spread political news. The interior minister, Sadeq Mahsouli, who supervised the elections and heads the nation’s police forces, warned people not to join any “unauthorised gatherings.”
Daniel Pipes (via Dan) is Assessing the Iranian election. The other day John Bolton was asking, What if Israel strikes Iran? (h/t Pat).
More photos:
More photos at Noticias 24. Don’t miss also Michael Totten‘s post and roundup.
Meanwhile, Hugo Chavez has already called his buddy to congratulate him, saying without a trace of irony, “it is a and important and great victory for the peoples who want a better world.”
UPDATE
One more photo, via Andrew Sullivan (Sullivan post delinked):
EU Referendum deplores the BBC’s loathsome charade
UPDATE 2
John Hinderaker:
It’s ironic that this battle is being waged on behalf of Mousavi, who, as Paul and others have pointed out, would not obviously be an improvement on Ahmadinejad. The ostensible point of the Tehran riots is that voter fraud was committed on behalf of Ahmadinejad.
Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion picks up on the Obama/Chavez/Iran angle:
When Barack Obama warmly greeted Hugo Chavez last April, Obama sent a message of despair to Venezuelans who sought freedom from Chavez’s cult of personality. Any hope the Venezuelan opposition had of a near-term reversal of newspaper closings, political imprisonments, street intimidation, and nationalizations, died with that embrace.
Obama must not send the same message to the people of Iran who are facing the tyranny of the ruling power structure, consisting of the ruling religious council and the Revolutionary Guards. The regime will portray the opposition as a puppet of the U.S. regardless of what we say or do, so we might as well say and do the right thing.
Do not embrace Ahmadinejad and those who empower him. Do not sacrifice the chance of a lifetime for the Iranian people for short term political gain. No Chavez-style hugs to help rescue the Iranian regime.
American Power ponders the implications for US policy
Keeping them HONEST? . .
With the free passage of information it’s REALLY hard to hide the truth in these days of blogs, twitter and facebook etc.
If Ahmadinejad actually got 25 million legitimate votes then roughly 1/2 of them must have been cast by females . . yet NO WOMEN . . . NOT ONE . . . appears in the support rally videos for for the “winner” . . . yet many photos of protest voter rallies show many women . . faces and all . . . does anyone in the media recognize that? . . .or are we all blind to the truth? . . . The “truth the Imams would have us believe” is that of ALL Iranian women who voted for him NOT ONE would not like to show their backing in this “strong democratic outpouring of support for Ahmadinejad”.
Highly improbable . . is an understatement of fact. . . In fact it’s VERY TELLING!
Iranians need a fare election process and so far have not had one . . no matter how much the powerful paternal religious leaders may assert.. . It may be overlooked by the media but not by the rest of us.
D Cooke Canada
I find it interesting that in one of the videos that are chanting we want freedom, in english, not in their native language. Are the people of Iran trying to tell the US and Europe they want their help?
Its time for the United States Of America to openly acknowledge and support the brave men and women of Iran who stand up and fight for their Freedom. We need to show the world that freedom is worth fighting for and the people of the United States are with you.
The truth about the election is clear and obvious. So, where are these disputes coming from? Who are these protestors? I found a great article describing what is actually going on in Iran and why the metropolitan areas are up in arms:
http://internationalinsights.blogspot.com