Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Student demonstration in Tehran



This is the first time I have seen a video like this one. Usually videos of demonstrations are taken from inside the crowd. This one is taken from the Ministry of Interior in Tehran and you really get to see the size of the crowd. It seems that the people taking the video are trying to zoom in on faces, possibly for later identification.

This demonstration commemorates the student protests of 1999 . Maybe someone with better ears than ours can understand what is being said by the video makers and the students.

6 comments:

Pedestrian said...

I was there during the entire charade. It was a brutal day and will go down in history as such.

But I'm sorry to say that it was not an experience that made us stronger - but weaker.

If you ever go to any of these demonstrations you'll see dozens of men holding mobile phones and "talking" for hours. They are filming everybody in site. Guessing from the close-ups, that might be the origin of this video.

Unknown said...

Pedestrian, We would love to hear more. Why do you say that the experience "made you weaker?"

Can you tell us what the students were chanting?

cd0103 said...

So good to see you posting again.

Anonymous said...

These are what I could make out from the chantings during the first half of the clip:

Video-maker (when they break into the gate): Ya Abalfazl! (= Holly Shit!)

Crowd: Mikosham, Mikosham, ankeh baradaram kosht! (= I will kill, I will kill, the one who killed my brother!)

Crowd: Aza Azast emrooz, Rooze azast emrooz! (= Today is a day of mourning!)

Crowd: Nezami, Sepahi, baradarat koshteh shod! (= You the military forces, your brother was killed! (Meaning also you killed your brother)

Crowd: Farmandeh Kolle ghowa, pasokhgoo! pasokhgoo! (The Chief Commander of Forces (i.e. The Supreme Leader), Answer! Answer!)

Crowd: (?) jenayat mikonad, rahbar hemayat mikonad! (?) murders, the Supreme Leader supports that!

Nirooye entezami, Nangat baad! Nanngat baad! (= The military forces, shame on you! Shame on you!)

And so on....

Pedestrian said...

I think I misspoke Tori! I was not there during the entire protests, but I did go to the campus a few times ... I didn't remember the students' chants too well, I was only 15 at the time! But now that I read "anonymous" a lot of it is coming back ...

They made us weaker because the student movement seems to have disintegrated after those events ... And yet, I don't think I am too good a judge of history at this point to make any definite statements!

I guess this is the best I can explain it ...

Unknown said...

Anonymous, thanks for listening and posting the translation for us.

Pedestrian, thanks for clarifying and including the link to your excellent post.

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