Public outrage driven by arrests and killings
Supporters of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi taking part in a rally in Tehran yesterday. Photo: Getty Images
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Arrests and killings have become commonplace and the regime's threats grow ever more vitriolic, yet for the fifth day in a row, thousands of Iranians marched against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday.
A river of people, stretching all the way from Haft-e-Tir to Vali Asr Square in central Tehran, showed their fury over the official result of last Friday's election.
Many were marching because of the violence unleashed by the authorities since the poll. Men from the pro-regime Basij militia have been accused of murdering students during a night raid on Tehran University's dormitories.
"I am here for the students who were killed at the Tehran University. I am here because of them. Justice should never be compromised," said a 24-year-old student, who gave his name as Ali.
He suffered a beating at the hands of the Basij and wore a black scarf out of respect for the students who were killed.
All around, people wearing green wristbands -- the adopted symbol of Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the opposition's presidential candidate -- chanted "Where is my vote?"
All rallies in support of Mr Mousavi are banned. But outrage over what many see as a stolen election, in which the president officially won 62.4pc of the vote, impels people on to the streets.
"I am here to support my vote," said Reza Soheili, a 27-year-old student. "I feel they cheated. Look around you, see how many people are here? I believe we are showing the world we are not happy and we want our votes to be respected."
Mr Mousavi appears to have hardened his position and urged his supporters to defy the regime once more by gathering today to mourn the victims of the state's repression.
Mr Soheili said he would march again and again if necessary. "I listen to Mir-Hossein Mousavi and to Zahra Rahnavard (his wife). Whatever they say, I follow," he said.
He lacks any faith in the pledge from the Council of Guardians, a powerful committee of hardline clerics, to investigate Mr Mousavi's claims of vote rigging. "I don't trust them. Not only the guardian council should monitor the election, the United Nations must as well," he said.
Little organisation or planning lay behind this demonstration and Mr Mousavi himself did not appear. Many thousands were drawn on to the streets simply because of an anonymous email.
It told people to gather in Haft-e-Tir Square, adding: "Please relay the message, via email or phone. The gathering will be held in silence without slogans."
But no one can tell how the regime will respond to these solemn gatherings. Everyone who takes part is running a great risk. (© Daily Telegraph, London)
