Update on Protests

Reports are coming in of demonstrations taking place all over Iran (Tehran, Esfhan, Tabriz, Abadan, and others) against the regime, using the soccer victory over Japan as an excuse to go into the streets. The victory is an excuse for people to go into the streets. The people can claim the are celebrating their victory while those in their midst demonstrate against the regime.

The reports say that the demonstrations are dispersed in neighborhoods all across Iran. The streets are being jammed with traffic and thousands are gathering in the center of each of these demonstrations. These traffics jams are apparently protecting the demonstrators. The reports further state that those in the center of these demonstrations can be heard making statements against the regime. In a new development, there are calls for "armed resistance" and some are raising guns (a capital offense against the regime).

Due to the extremely high volume of traffic in the streets, the regime’s security forces are unable to send reinforcements to those areas where the demonstrations are getting more out the regime's control. Some are reporting that the security forces in many areas are frightened by the increasing size of the crowds.

It is now midnight in Iran. I have been told that people are continuing to go into the streets.

It is my sense that this is not the event we are all waiting for but one more step in that direction.

Still, I will continue to report these events as they unfold.

I will begin cataloguing these reports here.

The Student Movement website daneshjoo.org has published several reports: See them here, here and here.

Update: The main stream media largely ignored the protests. The BigNewNetwork referenced Iran Press News two report here and here. They mentioned the heavy security and the jamming of the TV satellite broadcasts from outside Iran. They also reported 3 dead and 32 injured. The Student Movement also reported hundreds injured and arrested throughout Iran. They also reported:

Hundreds have been admitted to hospitals and many are missing. Tens of female protesters were seen thrown into patrol cars or buses as they denounced the Islamic regime's Gender Apartheid policy and also participated in street demos.

Angry crowd retaliated to the militiamen and plainclothes agents brutal attacks with pieces of stone and incendiary devices. Reports of use of fire arms has been reported from the western City of Mahabad and in the Rey district of the Capital by masked individuals rushing to rescue demonstrators.

Several militiamen were seen wounded and transferred by their colleagues in Rey. Some had to escape from their burning patrol cars following the use of incendiary devices by maverick young Iranians .

Heavy damages were made to collective buses and public materials.

Same riots are expected to take place as early as next week, as the Iranian National Team will be playing N. Korea for the qualification games of the 2006 Soccer World Cup.