Iran: Green Movement is Dying

[Frodo]

What is it that the Islamic revolutionaries in late 1970s Iran had that today's Green Movement doesn't have?
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Iranian opposition demoralized after failed protests at revolution's anniversary

By Thomas Erdbrink
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, February 20, 2010

TEHRAN -- The opposition supporters nervously smoked cigarettes in the kitchen as loud music blared from the empty living room. A student, a businessman, a writer and an artist had planned a victory party but instead were mourning their defeat.

"It's all over," said the student, a young woman in a sleek black dress. "Our only option is to leave the country."

After their planned show of strength largely fizzled Feb. 11 in the face of heavy security for state-sponsored celebrations of the Islamic revolution's 31st anniversary, activists in Iran's political opposition have been left demoralized, wondering how to revive a movement that many hoped would lead to a more open society, greater personal freedoms and fairer elections.

Those attending the dissidents' get-together contemplated the reasons for their defeat as they sought to answer the question, "What now?" Some admitted that they had been afraid to join anti-government protests scheduled to coincide with the anniversary rallies. Others said they had tried to go but faced thousands of armed security forces who blocked streets. All agreed that the opposition's failure to make an impact during the state-backed demonstrations represented a huge blow for the grass-roots movement. Each spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.

Opposition expectations for Feb. 11 had run high, with leaders calling for a "huge presence." Anti-government Web sites speculated that millions of people would turn out to denounce President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his influential supporters among Iran's hard-line clerics and generals.

But by sentencing protesters to death, blocking Internet sites and foreign satellite transmissions and deploying thousands of security forces, authorities managed to stop the opposition from commandeering the largest state-sponsored street gathering of the year. The government's strategy might eventually backfire, but for the time being, it has served to justify authorities' dismissal of the opposition as a meaningless band of foreign-backed counterrevolutionary rioters.

This security formula will almost certainly be used in the future, analysts said, thwarting the opposition's signature tactic of turning official street celebrations into anti-government rallies. "It was impossible to join up with other protesters," the student at the party said as she tried to reconstruct what went wrong. "There were just too many security forces."

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

What is it that the Islamic revolutionaries in late 1970s Iran had that today's Green Movement doesn't have?

One was a genuine revolutionary movement, the other a CIA/Mossad astroturf "movement."

[phk]

Ahmadinejad may actually be more popular than initially thought.

He certainly is popular with the median Arab (Lebanese and Palestinian especially) and Pakistani, probably more so than with the median Iranian. Though some obviously dislike him but its for the wrong reasons.

[Хahar 🤔]

What is it that the Islamic revolutionaries in late 1970s Iran had that today's Green Movement doesn't have?

Popular support. The government now isn't pulling anything like this. You certainly won't see wine on the menu at such things now.

[Bo]

What a shame.

[k-onmmunist]

What a shame.

[Scam of God]

What is it that the Islamic revolutionaries in late 1970s Iran had that today's Green Movement doesn't have?

One was a genuine revolutionary movement, the other a CIA/Mossad astroturf "movement."

[Antonio the Sixth]

What a shame.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

What is it that the Islamic revolutionaries in late 1970s Iran had that today's Green Movement doesn't have?

One was a genuine revolutionary movement, the other a CIA/Mossad astroturf "movement."

Nice to see a "libertarian" supporting a relligious government, which executed politcal opponents and gays

[Scam of God]

What is it that the Islamic revolutionaries in late 1970s Iran had that today's Green Movement doesn't have?

One was a genuine revolutionary movement, the other a CIA/Mossad astroturf "movement."

Nice to see a "libertarian" supporting a relligious government, which executed politcal opponents and gays

I'm supporting the principle of non-interventionism. I dislike Ahmadenijad; I dislike nationalistic dick-waving even more.

[Zarn]

This is the bigger question: What is the difference in support (such as kind of support) between the government and the movement?

[Kaine for Senate '18]

What a shame.

[Psychic Octopus]

What a shame.

[12th Doctor]

What is it that the Islamic revolutionaries in late 1970s Iran had that today's Green Movement doesn't have?

One was a genuine revolutionary movement, the other a CIA/Mossad astroturf "movement."

I was very upset to learn that you were not one of the Jso sock puppets.

[Beet]

More protests would not have accomplished anything. There was never a light at the end of the tunnel on this. Where would it have led? Revolution? No. Capitulation by Khamenei? Not likely.

The reformists' best chance was to win through a combination of the system and through grassroots support.

The green movement lost on June 12, 2009... whether there was vote fraud or not and how much we will never know.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

What is it that the Islamic revolutionaries in late 1970s Iran had that today's Green Movement doesn't have?

One was a genuine revolutionary movement, the other a CIA/Mossad astroturf "movement."

Wow, summing the big mobilization of a big part of the Iranian youth who risked their life there, to an US/Mossad plot just because it would benefit to US/Israel is rather...insulting.

It's not dying. The point being that the nuclear affair is taking the place.