A Bag Full of Ploys to Gather Support

This February 11 is a special year for the 31-year history of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Unlike every year when the rulers of Iran did everything in their power to pour the public into the streets of Iran’s towns to show the world that they were popular and legitimate, this year the story is just the opposite. Because of the demonstrated strength and resilience of a very large section of the Iranian nation that is unhappy and has been calling for major all-across reforms, and because of the successful calls of the leaders of the disenchanted Iranians to pour into the streets on the anniversary of the fall of the Pahlavi dynasty on February 11 and make their rejection of the current administration known to the rulers and the world, the Iranian regime this year has been utilizing every measure – legal and illegal - at its disposal to dissuade the public from taking to the streets.

But there are other exceptions this year as well. This year, invited foreign journalists have been specifically tasked and warned to stay only in designated parts of the cities and towns to provide media coverage to the February 11 celebrations. They have been barred from straying from the official routes and spots where pro-government rallies have been planned to be held. Furthermore, according a reporter from the state run national radio and television network (IRIB) who spoke to Rooz, IRIB has been told to use only the air footage of Azadi square that will be shot and provided to it from air by a state helicopter. This reporter explained that this measure was because of the strategic importance of Azadi square and also Mr. Ahmadinejad’s speech there, adding that, “this section [of the city] shall be under government control.”

So one may conclude that Azadi square will be filled with pro-government demonstrators. Therefore, if the general public wants to go there they will have to do it early in the morning before government supporters fill the field.

This reporter further said that Vahed Markazi Khabar (i.e. the Central News Bureau of IRIB) has been barred from going to places other than the Azadi square and Mohammad Ali Jinnah avenue running north from the square because of the possibility of clashes there.

But even more importantly perhaps, this reporter said that the manager of the news room and supervisor of IRIB news for February 11, 12 and 13 has been changed, adding, “The whole editorial staff of all IRIB networks work in shifts which change on the 29 day of the month. But for February 11, 12 and 13, the news managers of all the networks are not those that were designated earlier and instead a different group of individuals have been assigned as news editors, control room, and other important posts as of three days ago.”

This source further said that every week, abstracts of the Friday prayer speeches are sent to IRIB prior to Friday so that they are prepared for that Friday. The subject of the pre-prayer speech for February 12 is sabotage by paid individuals, unveiling of women by women associated with the Green Movement, insulting veiled women on their return home from rallies, and US encouragement for a military attack on Iran and a change of regime.”

Rooz reporters have confirmed some of these reports, i.e. those regarding the unveiling of women on February 11. Some political observers predict there will be another Ashoura (a mourning commemoration for the killing of imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad by the Shiites) carnival on its way.

Parleman News, which belongs to the minority faction in the Majlis, also has received reports that a saboteur group is planning to disrupt  the February 11 celebrations and then assign the blame to the reformers. Again, the same IRIB source told Rooz, “According to news we have received over the past few days, there is a plan for a group of women to unveil themselves on February 11th and attack veiled women.”

People Will Come with Fears and Hopes
Despite the government’s efforts to create an atmosphere of fear among the public, threats of massive arrests, heavy sentences and even executions that have been passed recently, particularly since the leaders of Iran’s green movement and other opposition groups and parties, called on the public to show their grievances during the February 11 demonstrations, news reports indicate that a massive public participation will take place on the anniversary of the victory of the 1979 revolution.

Reports by Rooz reporters of the situation around the streets, pavements, buses, taxis and public buildings in Tehran is that despite the fears that the residents of Tehran have of the government’s violence, they talk of the need to participate in the February 11 rallies hoping that the current conditions will change.

Maryam is a government employee who described the atmosphere in Tehran on the eve of February 11th. “The atmosphere in the city resembles a calm before a storm. It is as if everyone knows that something big is going to happen and so they are waiting for it, watching.” Describing the city to be under the control of the police, she added, “Outsized policemen wearing leopard outfits and armed with batons are already at the street intersections of the city. Near my house at Nobonyad square for several days now a black colored Mercedes police cruiser and a black Toyota stop regularly, which are accompanied by four policemen. They are in full black uniform with a distinct Police marking in English on their back. They are each armed with a light sub-machine gun and a baton.” The plastic lids of the trash bins around Engelab square in Tehran too have been replaced with metal ones, preventing them to be set on fire.

She further said that everybody in the city talks about taking part in the February 11 rallies, adding, “I have not come across anyone who said they would not go to the demonstration. People are a bit fearful, which is because of the unusual violence perpetrated by the government, still they say that they must go to defend and support those that are in prisons. I have seen people who say that if they do not go, the regime would execute more people and kill our children. We must go so that they [those in power] understand that we are here and will not retreat until we get our rights.”

Razzagh is a university professor who talked with Rooz and said this about the atmosphere in the capital on the eve of February 11. “A security atmosphere dominates the city and there are checkpoints in some areas, particularly in the north of Tehran (where the upper middle class lives) and the north-west where there are police checkpoints between 11pm to 2 am every night. During the day teams of black Mercedes Benz Elegance cars and a black Toyota Land-Cruiser with 8 black-clad armed policemen carrying tear gas canisters patrol the streets. In addition, there is a special Pasdaran unit called NOPO (which stands for (Niruye Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat) who wear leopard style clothing which also patrol the streets of the capital in their mobile cruisers.  Regarding taking part in the February 11th rally, some say that they should participate, while others say it is useless to do so. Those who are for participation defend their position by arguing that this is to get their rights, end the current situation, and attain freedom. Those who call for participation fear the violence of the government even though they concede that their numbers (i.e. the protestors) is larger than the other side.” This academician also said that those who argue for taking to the streets to demonstrate their grievances need to support the green movement otherwise the chances of executions of prisoners would increase as would pressure on activists and all the sacrifices that have been made till today would be go to waste.

Hossein is someone who talks about the distribution of CDs among the public that contain images of the murders of the government. He tells Rooz, “These CDs are distributed in large numbers at city’s street intersections and avenues while there is a harsh security atmosphere dominating the city.” According to him, graffiti is very prevalent and people in the buses, the subway, and other public government buildings invite each other to go to the February 11th rally. “Many posters bearing the green symbols have been published for February 11th and school children call on people to participate in the rally,” he adds. Taxi drivers, he says, ask the youth to stay away from violence and say no excuses should be given to the regime, while they promise their support for them.

A student activist who spoke with Rooz about people’s fears and hopes was arrested hours prior to the publication of this news report. He told Rooz, “Despite all their fears, people will come to the rally, get strength from each other and rid themselves of their fears.”

A resident of the first circle in the Tehran Pars district of the city (south Tehran) who spoke with Rooz about the arrest of three high school students and said, “They arrested them on charges of writing graffiti, and so took them away. They (authorities) foolishly believe that they can stop us from protesting if they arrest our children whereas these arrests, executions, imprisonments, etc only makes us more determined to pursue our rights.”

This resident, who is a merchant, added, “I am in touch with a large number of people. In my store everyone who comes in says they will participate in the February 11th rally.  People say that if they withdraw, they would be committing treason to their children.”