The day was 13th of Aban (Nov.4-09). The occasion marked the 30th anniversary of US Embassy seizure by a number of university students believing the embassy can harbor a potential coup against Iran's new revolution. Some analysts relate this conception to the bitter memoirs of 1953 CIA-MI6 Joint operation, some others dismiss the idea and believe the Iranian leftist were behind the case and wanted to eradicate any remaining possibility for pro-western Iranians to return to West block. Nevertheless, Ebrahim Yazdi the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the interim government quoted saying, "Imam Khomeini earlier in the morning had asked me to expel the occupiers out the Embassy but in the afternoon he acknowledged the move". Thus, the event announced to be the second revolution, to convey the momentously importance of the student's triumphant operation.
Now, 30 years had passed. Many hundreds and even thousands of people had gathered in front of former US embassy that now serves as a high school to Islamic Revolutionary Guards, to commemorate the occasion by protesting against western totalitarianism and chanting "Death to America". But stone through away from this official ceremony, in streets clogged with cars and sank in gray smoke of improper combustions; there were others who found a chance to display once again their anger with the result of the 12 June presidential election, shouting totally different slogans. "Death to dictator" and "Death to Russia" are what the protesters demanded. The dictator that they think has stolen their votes in the 10th presidential election, and the Russian government that has been supporting the government they think to be unlawful. What are the differences between these two communities? Why the Iranian official media massively broadcasted the news on one side and ignores the other? Why is it that the world should know about one side through if not hundreds but tens of Iranian and semi Iranian Radio and TV stations but the other side owes its existence to mobile phones captured videos streaming out unprofessionally by ordinary people?
Demonstrators mostly were women consisting from all folks and a wide range of ages. At first they were tolerated by the anti riot Police. The Police out numbered the civilians remarkably. Dressed in full protection gears perhaps not a means of safety but utilized to frighten the protesters, because they did not even carry shield guards. But later when the chanting Death to Russia spread out -as if the phrase functioned as a code- then the attack began. This was the moment that the anti riot police cleaned the street from the so called unauthorized demonstrators. This is what the present government claims. Article 27 of the Islamic Republic Constitution states, People's gatherings and processions without carrying weapons is free on the condition that it will not damage the essence of Islam. Yet the Police are not to contemplate the law but to obey the authorities' commandments which apparently were pounding every single insurgency. People escaped as fast as they could to walkways and narrow alleys. Police batons came down to legs and bodies of mostly youths, resembling farmers harvesting wheat: that to harvest food and this to plant hatred. But yet the elderly and slow moving persons were observed more or less. People massively were hit with the baton and frightened them by tear gas and shooting seemingly in the air (which I only heard the sound). There were many empty buses parked in the middle of street and cars in heavy traffic jam, some of which blow their horns frequently.
There were now less plain cloth government forces in the streets comparing to the last unrest breakouts after the June 12 election. The military and disciplinary forces seemed to have been more organized and therefore relaxed. I saw 2 police Van occupied by women police in the main sq. where all the things were happening, and yet the ladies inside were much busy talking and their vehicle had no protectors at all and of any kinds. As tough they may have been out for picnic. In the other scene I notice a very young anti riot police, much larger than average in size who attempted to hit group of people in front of him. And people crouched on top of each other preventing receiving the stroke. All of a sudden I remembered a renowned photo from some days before the 1979's revolution, in which the photo depicts a soldier aiming his gun to a demonstrator trapped in a dead end. The photo was later named, "don't shoot Soldier". I shouted at him, "don't hit soldier"! And he stopped. We stared at each other. He was young and his face was of a simple lad leaving no grounds to despise him by far. Why was he doing this? Are our wills of the same genre or of the same origin? What has he been told before coming to this arena? Is he a patriot, a true believer of Islam, or merely a young man trying to support a family? These are exactly what he could ask every other players of the game.
Roaming around, I saw many young people being arrested. The others including myself just witness the event lifelessly. Moving down in a street in front of a Catholic church in a basketball lot a number of young boys and girls were detained. A fainted mother awaits one of the detained girls. She could hardly talk. Her eyes even begged to me, only a passer by. Who can save her? Who knows what will happen to her. The mother said that her daughter's offense was wearing a green wrist band. Was it really a crime? But what could I do, was it my business? If it was not mine then whose business is it?
Now, 30 years had passed. Many hundreds and even thousands of people had gathered in front of former US embassy that now serves as a high school to Islamic Revolutionary Guards, to commemorate the occasion by protesting against western totalitarianism and chanting "Death to America". But stone through away from this official ceremony, in streets clogged with cars and sank in gray smoke of improper combustions; there were others who found a chance to display once again their anger with the result of the 12 June presidential election, shouting totally different slogans. "Death to dictator" and "Death to Russia" are what the protesters demanded. The dictator that they think has stolen their votes in the 10th presidential election, and the Russian government that has been supporting the government they think to be unlawful. What are the differences between these two communities? Why the Iranian official media massively broadcasted the news on one side and ignores the other? Why is it that the world should know about one side through if not hundreds but tens of Iranian and semi Iranian Radio and TV stations but the other side owes its existence to mobile phones captured videos streaming out unprofessionally by ordinary people?
Demonstrators mostly were women consisting from all folks and a wide range of ages. At first they were tolerated by the anti riot Police. The Police out numbered the civilians remarkably. Dressed in full protection gears perhaps not a means of safety but utilized to frighten the protesters, because they did not even carry shield guards. But later when the chanting Death to Russia spread out -as if the phrase functioned as a code- then the attack began. This was the moment that the anti riot police cleaned the street from the so called unauthorized demonstrators. This is what the present government claims. Article 27 of the Islamic Republic Constitution states, People's gatherings and processions without carrying weapons is free on the condition that it will not damage the essence of Islam. Yet the Police are not to contemplate the law but to obey the authorities' commandments which apparently were pounding every single insurgency. People escaped as fast as they could to walkways and narrow alleys. Police batons came down to legs and bodies of mostly youths, resembling farmers harvesting wheat: that to harvest food and this to plant hatred. But yet the elderly and slow moving persons were observed more or less. People massively were hit with the baton and frightened them by tear gas and shooting seemingly in the air (which I only heard the sound). There were many empty buses parked in the middle of street and cars in heavy traffic jam, some of which blow their horns frequently.
There were now less plain cloth government forces in the streets comparing to the last unrest breakouts after the June 12 election. The military and disciplinary forces seemed to have been more organized and therefore relaxed. I saw 2 police Van occupied by women police in the main sq. where all the things were happening, and yet the ladies inside were much busy talking and their vehicle had no protectors at all and of any kinds. As tough they may have been out for picnic. In the other scene I notice a very young anti riot police, much larger than average in size who attempted to hit group of people in front of him. And people crouched on top of each other preventing receiving the stroke. All of a sudden I remembered a renowned photo from some days before the 1979's revolution, in which the photo depicts a soldier aiming his gun to a demonstrator trapped in a dead end. The photo was later named, "don't shoot Soldier". I shouted at him, "don't hit soldier"! And he stopped. We stared at each other. He was young and his face was of a simple lad leaving no grounds to despise him by far. Why was he doing this? Are our wills of the same genre or of the same origin? What has he been told before coming to this arena? Is he a patriot, a true believer of Islam, or merely a young man trying to support a family? These are exactly what he could ask every other players of the game.
Roaming around, I saw many young people being arrested. The others including myself just witness the event lifelessly. Moving down in a street in front of a Catholic church in a basketball lot a number of young boys and girls were detained. A fainted mother awaits one of the detained girls. She could hardly talk. Her eyes even begged to me, only a passer by. Who can save her? Who knows what will happen to her. The mother said that her daughter's offense was wearing a green wrist band. Was it really a crime? But what could I do, was it my business? If it was not mine then whose business is it?
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