Is Iran next?

hardCopy

Reports on twitter of mass protests in Iran.

Euronews
Reuters
Pics from BBC Persia

@marklittlenews wrote:

Watching protest spread across Iran RT @GEsfandiari: protests reported also in Shiraz, Isfahan, Kermanshah #25Bahman #iranelection

Doesn't seem to be much detail confirmed so far.

jakedixon2004

Washington Post

A bit more info here.

Live Updates :
The Guardian

wes

Most certainly could be Iran, or Bahrain, or Alegeria, or any number of other places. Hopefully the various people accross the ME and North Africa are successful in getting rid of the despots ruling over them.

pablomakaveli

There'll be weekly protests held in Algeria

Algerian opposition groups have said they will follow up the protests held this weekend by calling a demonstration in Algiers, the capital, every Saturday until the government is changed.

"We will continue to march until the regime steps down. Each Saturday we will maintain the pressure," said Mohsen Belabes, a spokesman for the RCD opposition party which helped organised the demonstrations.

Elias Filali, an Algerian blogger and activist, quoted Ali Yahia Abdennour, a senior figure and human right activist, as saying: "We should continue protesting every Saturday in the same square, we will gather momentum as we progress we want our dignity back.

"Yesterday the police has brutally beaten many protesters amongst them a pregnant women, old ladies, a journalist, young men and women, we should carry on protesting until we get our rights." The call came as hundreds of stone-throwing demonstrators clashed with police on Sunday in the eastern city of Annaba.
Four police officers were slightly injured during clashes with young protesters outside the local government headquarters.
Several thousands protesters, inspired by revolts which overthrew entrenched leaders in Egypt and Tunisia, defied a police ban and protested in Algiers on Saturday.

Widespread discontent with unemployment, poor housing conditions and high food prices sparked rioting in early January across the country.
Local media reported that Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the president, is preparing to make wholesale changes in his government line-up, a move which could relieve some of the pressure on his administration.
"What happened in Tunisia and Egypt is not likely to happen here," said Nacer Jabi, an Algerian sociologist, as he watched the protest on Saturday.
"This march shows ... that the [political] parties are unable to mobilise the crowds."
Flammable mix

The resignation on Friday of Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian president, and last month's overthrow of Tunisia's leader, have led many to ask which country could be next in the Arab world, with its flammable mix of authoritarian rule and popular anger.

Widespread unrest in Algeria could have implications for the world economy because it is a major oil and gas exporter, but many analysts say an Egypt-style revolt is unlikely as the government can use its energy wealth to placate most grievances.
The government has said it refused permission for Saturday's rally for public order reasons, not because it is trying to stifle dissent.
It has said it is working hard to create jobs, build new homes and improve public services.
Other countries have also felt the ripples from the revolts in Egypt and Tunisia.
Jordan's King Abdullah replaced his prime minister after protests, while in Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh told opponents he would not seek a new term as president.

The Bahraini government has also made several concessions in recent weeks, including promising higher social spending.
Activists there have called for protests on February 14, the anniversary of the country's 2002 constitution.
There have also been calls for an anti-government rally in Iran on Monday.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/02/201121319501679639.html

Though it doesn't look like what happened in Egypt will happen there.

Manic Moran

I doubt the Iranian thing will get up to much. The protests after the election were fairly enthusiastic and didn't get very far.

NTM

steelcityblues

wes wrote: »

Most certainly could be Iran, or Bahrain, or Alegeria, or any number of other places. Hopefully the various people accross the ME and North Africa are successful in getting rid of the despots ruling over them.

They will be replaced by other puppets, and thus the cycle continues!

wes

steelcityblues wrote: »

They will be replaced by other puppets, and thus the cycle continues!

Well, that is a possibility, but maybe things will be different this time around, and perhaps people won't put up the same old crap anymore. We can only wait and see.

later12

Iran is one Middle Eastern country which one can be certain will not follow Egypt in the wave of protests. The crackdown on opposition after the failed election protests were far too severe; people have been shot, imprisoned and disappeared and while there will likely be some significant change after the present Ayatollah dies, that is not even on the horizon for now.

Humans eh!

IMO The protest movements in Iran are probably not as strong, organised, equipped or brutal as the corruption ridden forces that threaten to crush them at all costs to protect their belligerent political and politically oppressive religious system.

Whether the momentum of the euphoric winds of change across the Arab world will be contained and not reach this nation of huge potential is uncertain, but it is quite amazing to watch countries in political and social upheaval live on tv as humanity is laid bare, its anger, its greed, its brutality, its sense of justice and appetite for conflict and also its potential for solidarity and peace.

Meanwhile..........back at the ranch

Interesting times indeed!

KeithAFC

No. Iran won't be next. They don't have the balls in Iran. The people will go on suffering.

Humans eh!

Latest from Al Jazeera

Rabble Rabble

DOnt have the balls? Easy for you. YOu can always go out and join them, however.

I dont think any of us know whether even the Egyptian "revolution" was secular, or not. If you read secularist correspondents it was - but they were interviewing a self selecting group of English speakers.

Iran still has a lot of support for the regime. The reason I think that street politics are nonsense is this: we dont know what the people sitting at home think.

Some were convinced there would be a revolution in France in 1968, a million were on the streets of Paris - instead the universities broke up for summer, and that ended that. The left lost in the next elections, although they didn't really organise it.

For all I know the Iranian rioters may be that un-representative. Probably.

KeithAFC

Rabble Rabble wrote: »

DOnt have the balls? Easy for you. YOu can always go out and join them, however.

I dont think any of us know whether even the Egyptian "revolution" was secular, or not. If you read secularist correspondents it was - but they were interviewing a self selecting group of English speakers.

Iran still has a lot of support for the regime. The reason I think that street politics are nonsense is this: we dont know what the people sitting at home think.

Some were convinced there would be a revolution in France in 1968, a million were on the streets of Paris - instead the universities broke up for summer, and that ended that. The left lost in the next elections, although they didn't really organise it.

For all I know the Iranian rioters may be that un-representative. Probably.

They hang gay people in the street still. No one has the balls to stand up against that government and take to the streets and fight them.

HavingCrack

KeithAFC wrote: »

They hang gay people in the street still. No one has the balls to stand up against that government and take to the streets and fight them.

Keith, you're talking about a government that has a history of 'disappearing' people in the dead of the night and mass executions in the open. All you have to do is look at the 1988 massacures of the left wing parties to see what sort of people the Iranians are dealing with. The Ayatollahs and Revolutionary Guard have brutally crushed, exiled, murdered and imprisoned any sign of opposition to their rule since the Islamic Revolution. An awful lot of people prefer not to take the chance of risking torture, rape, prison and death. I don't think that lacks balls. To the best of my knowledge, no one posting on this sub forum has ever lived under a dictatorship as brutal as Iran's so saying they have no balls is ridiculous.

Would you risk the lives of not just you but those of of your friends and relatives to protest?

KeithAFC

HavingCrack wrote: »

Keith, you're talking about a government that has a history of 'disappearing' people in the dead of the night and mass executions in the open. All you have to do is look at the 1988 massacures of the left wing parties to see what sort of people the Iranians are dealing with. The Ayatollahs and Revolutionary Guard have brutally crushed, exiled, murdered and imprisoned any sign of opposition to their rule since the Islamic Revolution. An awful lot of people prefer not to take the chance of risking torture, rape, prison and death. I don't think that lacks balls. To the best of my knowledge, no one posting on this sub forum has ever lived under a dictatorship as brutal as Iran's so saying they have no balls is ridiculous.

Would you risk the lives of not just you but those of of your friends and relatives to protest?

Yes i would. They have no real freedom in Iran. The people need to get out on the street and protest or take up arms and fight them. Iran is a complete nightmare as far as i can see.

HavingCrack

KeithAFC wrote: »

Yes i would. They have no real freedom in Iran. The people need to get out on the street and protest or take up arms and fight them. Iran is a complete nightmare as far as i can see.

Great for you so but not everyone is prepared to risk imprisonment, rape and death (things the Iranian security forces have regularly done) for democracy. Indeed very few people would risk putting the safety of their familiy and friends at risk to protest.

Anyway, the highlighted part of your text has already happened. Look at the 1997, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2009 and the current mass protests against the regime. Have you noticed a pattern yet? The Iranian people are regularly protesting except every time they do they're brutally supressed, imprisoned and murdered.

Violent resistance hasn't fared all that well either, just ask members of the MEK about what happened to them in 1988 (30,000 people executed).

KeithAFC

HavingCrack wrote: »

Great for you so but not everyone is prepared to risk imprisonment, rape and death (things the Iranian security forces have regularly done) for democracy. Indeed very few people would risk putting the safety of their familiy and friends at risk to protest.

Anyway, the highlighted part of your text has already happened. Look at the 1997, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2009 and the current mass protests against the regime. Have you noticed a pattern yet? The Iranian people are regularly protesting except every time they do they're brutally supressed, imprisoned and murdered.

Violent resistance hasn't fared all that well either, just ask members of the MEK about what happened to them in 1988 (30,000 people executed).

Not enough of them, that is the problem. No real resistence to keep it going. They just allow the religious extremists to do what they want and rule that country by a book.

sxt

KeithAFC wrote: »

Not enough of them, that is the problem. No real resistence to keep it going. They just allow the religious extremists to do what they want and rule that country by a book.

Do you think Iran needs to be liberated like Iraq so? give them some "democracy"..

KeithAFC

sxt wrote: »

Do you think Iran needs to be liberated like Iraq so? give them some "democracy"..

No.

sceptre

Dramatically off-topic stuff deleted. For those of you who have problems staying on topic, consider not posting if staying anywhere near the topic is an issue for you.

/mod

mike65

Has anyone been watching Press TV on SKY? They are Tehrans mouthpiece for Western consumption. I didn't think to check during the Egypt stand-off so I don't know if they are editorialising for, against or are neutral on popular uprisings

Overheal

If Iran did go, there needs to be a plan to secure it's Nuclear materials, before someone else does. Either by Iranian officials, or the UN.

partyatmygaff

Egypt was never as corrupt nor as oppressive as Iran. They're totally incomparable. The people of Egypt were brave but then again so are the people of Iran. They've protested time and time again despite fear of death.

The BBC and other news networks blew the corruption and problems of Mubarak's regime way out of proportion. It was bad yes but it's nothing compared to the likes of Iran.

mike65

I think the issue is not who's worse rather its "can I have vote that actually matters please"

irishh_bob

there is no comparison between egypt and iran , iran got rid of thier american puppet regime 30 yrs ago, egypt might go the way of iran , not the other way around

RDM_83 again

I think a further point in relation to Iran is.
Any street revolution will be viewed through prism of the 1953 coup against Mossadeghs democratic goverment (at least by the IMO authorities possibly by others) and replacement with the hated Shah.
This coup involved street protests and mobs which were funded/bribed by the CIA and British intelligence so the Iranian are well aware of how foreign money and influence can shift a nation to revolt*#.


* more modern example being the remarkably ineffective velvet revolution funded by Boris Berezovsky

# Also makes the Egyptian achievement all the more remarkable as I haven't heard of any outside power actively supporting the demonstrations (at least not yet)