"Green Cyber Demonstration": World Solidarity with the Iranian Protestors

INTERNATIONAL CYBER-DEMONSTRATION IN SUPPORT OF THE IRANIAN PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT



One aim: unite the world’s citizens of all origins, nationalities and horizons who believe in democracy and Human Rights, and who wish to express their support for the pro-democracy movement in Iran.



This initiative is completely independent, non-political and non-religious.



How to participate

- Join our group on facebook, flickr, add us on twitter & myspace

- make our logo your profile image on these social websites

- write a message of support as your headline & on our page(s)

- inform & send links to your friends & contacts

- write about this event in your blogs & websites, feature our image & add a link to us

- contribute to our webpage with comments, slogans, photos/videos/songs etc.


Facebook group: WWIran Facebook group
On twitter: WWIran Twitter
Myspace page: WWIran Myspace
Downloadable images on flickr: WWIran Flickr profile
Flickr group: WWIran Flickr group
YouTube Channel: WWIran YouTube

How you can make a difference

The pro-democracy protestors in Iran are isolated and vulnerable. A strong turn-out here is a means for us to support them in their battle & remind governments & official international bodies around the world to act in the best interest of these freedom-fighters.Iran has ratified both the Declaration of Human Rights (signed 1948) and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (signed 1968). Let us show the world that human dignity and Human Rights are values that transcend frontiers, and that our leaders should use as much energy in defending Human Rights as they do the nuclear issue.



“A dictatorship is more dangerous than a nuclear weapon.”



Context

As a result of the fraudulent Iranian presidential elections of the 12th of June 2009, millions of people took to the streets of Iran to protest against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; demanding a new and democratic election. These brave protestors, comprising all generations, demonstrated pacifically but faced harsh repression from government forces resulting in beatings, deaths, arrests, torture, forced confessions and mock show-trials. Despite this repression, the protest movement has continued to grow and is known as the ‘Green Movement’ (read below: ‘Why Green?’). In spite of this repression, the pro-democracy protestors in Iran have continued their mobilisation; taking to the streets, infiltrating official marches and finding new means to express themselves such as via the internet - despite the huge risks, including for their lives (two young men arrested before the elections, Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour, were executed on the 28th January 2010, with more feared).



Why Green?

Green is the symbolic colour under which the pro-democracy protestors march in Iran - it is traditionally the colour of hope. Although the colour of the presidential candidate Mussavi in June’s fraudulent elections, the protestors have since made this colour their own and are commonly called the ‘Green Movement’, which has grown to become a spontaneous independent citizen’s movement demanding democracy for Iran. Green is now the colour of all those who march for democracy in Iran.

Wednesday 10 February 2010

Iran steps up security before Islamic Revolution rally

Tehran sentences another activist to death and several others are arrested ahead of national day demonstrations 


Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 10 February 2010Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard march at a military parade in 2008


Large numbers of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have been deployed across Tehran, claim opposition sources, before tomorrow's anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Photograph: Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images
Iranian security forces are deploying in strength in Tehran and across the country to head off what opposition supporters hope will be massive protests to mark tomorrow's anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
New arrests were announced today after another death sentence was handed down for a convicted "rioter" and large numbers of Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia arrived in the capital from outlying areas, opposition sources reported.
Official preparations to deal with the latest bout of internal unrest coincide with mounting international tensions after Barack Obama accused Iran on Tuesday of trying to build a nuclear weapon and warned it would face new sanctions within weeks.
The regime has repeatedly accused opposition supporters of serving foreign interests.
Green movement leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who claims he, not incumbent hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, won last June's presidential election, has called for peaceful protests during state-sponsored events marking the 31st anniversary of the 1979 revolution – the most important date in the official calendar.
"We are closely watching the activities of the sedition movement and several people who were preparing to disrupt the 11 February rallies were arrested," the Fars news agency quoted Tehran's police chief, Esmail Ahmadi-Moghaddam, as saying. "If anyone wants to disrupt this glorious ceremony, they will be confronted by people and we too are fully prepared."
Tomorrow's events will take place behind a media blackout, with the few foreign journalists in Tehran operating under severe restrictions. Some 60 Iranian journalist are under arrest, and internet communications have been largely shut down.
For the first time loudspeakers have been mounted along the main route of likely protests to drown out opposition slogans. The main official rally will see Ahmadinejad address tens of thousands of government supporters in the capital's Azadi (Freedom) Square. Mousavi has not announced his plans but Mehdi Karroubi, another defeated presidential candidate, said he would take part.
Obama's strong words on the nuclear issue raised the stakes in the confrontation between Tehran and the international community, though there are serious doubts about whether China, one of the five permanent members of the UN security council, will back punitive measures.
"What we are going to be working on over the next several weeks is developing a significant regime of sanctions that will indicate to them (Iran) how isolated they are from the international community as a whole," Obama told reporters in Washington. But the head of Iran's atomic energy organisation, Ali-Akbar Salehi, insisted that an offer to enrich Iran's uranium abroad was "still on the table".
Western governments have focused on the nuclear issue but continuing domestic turmoil is attracting closer interest. Possible targets for new sanctions include the central bank, the Revolutionary guards (who control the nuclear programme), shipping firms and the energy sector.
Scores of people have been killed and hundreds wounded in protests since the June election. In the most recent flare-up, eight people died in clashes between police and protesters on 27 December when opposition supporters used the annual Shia Ashura ceremonies to stage anti-government rallies. Two opposition leaders, Mohsen Aminzadeh and Behzad Nabavi, were jailed this week.


Credits: The Guardian: Iran steps up security before Islamic Revolution rally

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