Iranian People Demand Democracy

Tuesday, 23 June 2009, 12:46 pm
Column: Michael Collins

"Give Me Liberty ..."
Iranian People Demand Democracy

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Iranian citizens charge police with courage, their bodies, and a few rocks to secure their rights to self determination and clean elections. Image

Michael Collins

Neoconservatives and other con artists are now claiming to support the Iranian people. Some are the same people who pushed to bomb Iran preemptively just a few years ago. Others, who stood on the sidelines to see who would "win," are now defenders of clean elections. It doesn't matter to the Iranian's demanding respect and self determination. For them, the real victory will be to emerge as a free nation that's outside the "great game" of the major powers.

The actions of the Iranian people against the stolen election June 12, 2009 serves as an object lesson for oligarchs in nations around the world, including the United States. The people are sufficiently engaged and intelligent to notice blatant political manipulations. They're willing to take to the streets and risk their lives for the absolute right of self determination.

The Iranian people know that their situation is far from hopeless. They learned that being told "there's nothing you can do" is a lie and they are demanding their rights with an adamant presence in the streets of Tehran and other cities throughout Iran.

Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, spoke at Tehran University Friday to a staged crowd, one he ordered up from the countryside. He said that the election was just fine with him. That makes sense. His "guy" won in a landslide despite the clear historical trends of Iranian presidential voting over a twenty year period.

This year's results were so clear to the vote counters; they were able to announce the tally in just hours. In past elections it took three days to count a similar number of ballots for the presidential elections. But the oligarchs knew the results in advance so why bother with counting? A Queen of Hearts move was all it took.

The people of Iran were disgusted with this. They did what men and women all over the world do after years of oppression. They took to the streets. But these were very mean streets.

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The price of freedom and dignity is paid in the blood of Iranian demonstrators. If Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, would allow the slaughter of citizens, what's a little election fraud? Image

The local police and a host of paramilitary groups were waiting to "keep order" ("order" meaning the suppression of free speech by any means available).

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Here one of the government thugs gets ready to stab a demonstrator in the back for simply asking for a fair vote count. Image

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There's one less voter for Ali Khamenei and Ahmadinejad to worry about. Despite the threats and the assaults by government agents, the people persevere. Image

The demonstrations started the day after the announcement of the vote total. On Friday June 20, the supreme leader gave a speech at Tehran University. He threw down the gauntlet. He ordered citizens to stop all protests. Then ominously he told them directly that "they will be responsible for its consequences, and consequences of any chaos." June 20, 2009

The election fraud doubters seem to rely on a common but unstated assumption: the Iranian people lack the intellect and judgment to have made once again the free choice they've been making since 1989 -- voting in the majority for reformist candidates. The notion that the atavistic Ahmadinejad won implies that there is something very wrong with Iranians.

Quite the contrary, there is something very right about the Iranian people standing up to a fascist regime that routinely devalues the lives and well being of its citizens. Where else but Mexico 2006 have we seen a sustained independent protest of a stolen election? Where else have people put their lives on the line through an independent movement that shows such respect for their natural rights?

The bravery and sincerity of the demonstrators are undeniable.

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Baton wielding Iranian paramilitary forces mounted on motorcycles charge citizens forced to run for their lives. These thugs are thorough. One of them captures a young woman in a strangle hold (marked section). Image

Take special note when you see fires like this. They are the captured and burning bikes of the forces of maximum leader Khamenei. Somehow, citizens dismounted the paramilitaries, stacked the bikes and set them on fire.

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But the regime's paramilitaries have more than dirt bikes to get them around. Image

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Here they are arriving in buses to do their dirty work. Image

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But brave Iranian demonstrators disabled their escape route. Image

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The tactics of the Iranian rulers can no longer deny the popular will. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians assembled, as is their right, demanding that the fraudulent election be overturned. Image

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As the crowds grew the oligarchs realized that this was not just a whim by the people. The number of people killed by the regime reached 150 Friday and Saturday, according to some sources. Image

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But the will of the people cannot be suppressed indefinitely or even for a few hours. The act of defiance is the true victory. Nothing is the same after that. Image

There are reports of a divide forming in the government. The conservative speaker of Iran's legislative body, the Majlis, just said that there are serious doubts about the election.

Even worse for the oligarchs, the movement of the people has a symbol - Neda, an assassinated Iranian woman. Her story is spreading around the world today.

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Here's the Iranian citizen Neda, to the left, before being shot. She's walking next to her father in the blue shirt. YouTube June 20, 2009

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Here's Neda after being shot by a paramilitary sniper. She's comforted by her father the people around her. After one of them said, "don't give up" she died. Cries of grief can be heard in the background. YouTube June 20, 2009

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, his puppet Ahmadinejad, and their apologists who claim that this was a fair and representative election now face their worst nightmare. That nightmare is an examination of the facts of the election that point directly to election fraud and a rigged outcome (See Iranian Election Fraud 2009). Their success follows the efforts to those who fought the theft of the 2006 Mexican presidential election, those ridiculed for doubting the 2004 U.S. election, plus all the others who defy the election fantasies produced by oligarchs and their minions.

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Why was there a purge of reformists and moderates at the election ministry before the election? Why was there police intimidation at the polls? Why were results announced within hours of the close of voting showing an Ahmadinejad victory? In past elections, it has taken three days to count votes. Why the hurry? How did the votes get counted in just a fraction of the normal time?

Just a simple review of past elections shows solid majorities for reformist candidates from 1989 through 2001. Even the 2005 election of Ahmadinejad, boycotted by reformists, showed their underlying strength. After four years of a failed economy and isolation in the region and the world, we're expected to believe that reformist supporters defected in droves to elect the author of the nation's suffering, the pretender president Ahmadinejad.

Neoconservatives and other con artists now claim to support the Iranian people. Some are the same people who pushed to bomb Iran preemptively starting just a few years ago. Others, who stood on the sidelines to see who would "win," are now defenders of clean elections. It doesn't matter to the Iranian's demanding respect and self determination. For them, the real victory will be to emerge as a free nation outside of the "great game" of the major powers.

The people of Iran are just like people all over the world. They have a fundamental desire for freedom and respect. They are both outraged and aggrieved when they see these desires thwarted by oligarchs with power and wealth as their only objectives. Guilt and paranoia by the oligarchs led to cheating and then attacks on those who protest to loudly.

In Iran, the wages of brave people fighting for their freedom are injury and death. For them, the alternative is simply unbearable. They deserve our support.

ENDS

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