News

Let me be clear: today was a grand success for supporters of the Green Movement and a day of utter shame for those who kept blowing their horns of disagreement for months, blaring about the supposed demise of the opposition.

Another set of demonstrations, another round of slogans, another group arrested. The protests are over, and now it's the task of sifting through websites, tweets, Facebook posts, and blogs to figure out how many people were arrested, if anyone was injured or killed, what the government did to block the protesters....

But it’s not that simple.

This is the first time protesters came out to oppose the government since 12 June, the anniversary of the 2009 Presidential election. Six months later, and most analysts still cannot answer key questions: just what is the Green Movement doing in Iran? Is it alive and well? Or has it been destroyed as the Government claims?

What the activists are doing is far from unclear. Speeches by leaders, backroom meetings, opposition writings, Green graffiti on the walls, and banners displayed in strategic locations, as well as hunger strikes and prison unrest: they are busy racking up support.

And the other two questions?

The Government has been able to arrest many important political, student, and human rights activists as well as lawyers, professors, and politicians. The Green Movement is running out of cadres.

But the Government, with its inability to once and for all cr... >>>