Arash Aramesh

The thirty-first anniversary of the Islamic Revolution was held in a very different environment than previous years. Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, leaders of the opposition, had called on their supporters to peacefully participate in today’s demonstrations. According to Saham News, the official site of Karroubi’s Etemad Melli party, “Mr. Karroubi was attacked by the Special Unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps while tear gas was fired which caused respiratory problems for him.”

According to reports by BBC Persian service, Karroubi’s face was partially burned by a can of tear gas that struck his face. BBC also reported that a mob attacked Karroubi’s car with nightsticks and rocks. Saham News reported that Karroubi’s son, Ali, was arrested by security forces today.

Meanwhile, Mir Hossein Moussavi was prevented by the IRGC’s Special Unit to join the crowds near central Tehran. According to Kaleme, Moussavi’s official website, the Special Unit located Mr. Moussavi near Azadi Street in Tehran and prevented him from joining other demonstrators marching from Azadi to Enghelab Square. Zahra Rahnavard, Moussavi’s wife, was attacked by a mob and she was reportedly struck by nightsticks.

Fars News, a pro-government news organization with close ties to the IRGC, reported that “Moussavi fled the scene dressed like a woman.” This headline was changed shortly with a new headline that read, “Moussavi fled the scene wrapped in cloth.” Fars News claims when Moussavi saw large numbers of people protesting to his presence at the demonstration, his bodyguards hid him at a nearby house and waited for hours until they managed to sneak him out of that house wrapped in fabric.

Former President Mohammad Khatami was not seen at any rallies. There were reports that he was prevented from leaving his house by Iranian security forces. Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani appeared in the demonstration today, commemorating the thirty-first anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. No reports of attacks against Rafsanjani were reported but slogans against him were chanted in various locations in Tehran by pro-government demonstrators.

Fars News claimed that fifty million people joined the pro-government demonstrations today in a country of only seventy million. Fars News claimed that the anti-government protestors were drowned in an ocean of pro-government demonstrators. IRNA, Islamic Republic News Agency, has been unreachable all day today strengthening rumors of cyber attacks against Iran’s official news agency.

Opposition sources portrayed a different picture, though. According to Norooz, the website of the Mosharekat Party, plain-clothed security forces and members of the Basij and the IRGC were all over Tehran, while people were gathering in large numbers. Norooz writes, “The Green presence of the people will not end with terror and fear.”

According to Jaras, a Green Movement website, shots were fired in various parts of Tehran, but Jaras failed to report if there was anyone killed or injured. According to the same site, police fired paintball at people in order to mark their clothes with paint and make it easier to identify and detain them later in the day. Neday-e Sabz-e Azadi, another Green movement website, also reported sporadic clashes between the opposition and security forces.

According to reports by various sources and a number of callers who contacted BBC Persian service, more protestors showed up for today’s demonstration than the Ashura protests in December. There were new slogans chanted by people this time such as “Referendum, Referendum” calling for a referendum to be held on the legitimacy of the government. Slogans were chanted against President Ahmadinejad but attacks were pointed mainly at Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In a speech given in the evening, Khamenei thanked the Iranian people for their presence which was a severe blow to the enemy.