Twitter reports confirmed, Moussavi was escorted by car to protest by thousands of supporters

[Aloha Spirit]

Read the daylife photo entry ....
"Defeated reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi (C) raises his arms as he appears at an opposition demonstration in Tehran on June 15, 2009, for the first time since an election that has divided the nation. Opposition supporters defied a ban to stage a mass rally in Tehran in protest at President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's landslide election win, as Iran faced a growing international backlash over the validity of the election and the subsequent crackdown on opposition protests."
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0fq74m3gJ81Gi?q=iran

Here's the photo:



Here's the link to the daylife photos (search = iran)
http://www.daylife.com/search?q=iran

[xchrom]

1. what a wonderful picture. nt

[tavalon]

2. methinks the powers that be misjudged how angry the populous is

[Aloha Spirit]

6. Big time. the populace may be divided politically, but they're all angry right now.

Ahmadinejad supporters had rallies too, but photos are harder to come by--for me so far.

[Why Syzygy]

3. "landslide election win"??

Isn't that presumptuous?

[Aloha Spirit]

5. Lol, well it's not so hard to win in a landslide when you burn the ballot boxes.

I read a handful of reports of unopened, destroyed ballot boxes yesterday on twitter.

[tocqueville]

4. a few dead-enders....

http://www.lemonde.fr/

[tavalon]

7. I cannot believe you linked to a French site!

How unAmerican of you! I'm jumping up and down with Faux outrage, I mean false outrage! Aaaaarrrgh!

[tocqueville]

11. I'm not American... lol nt

[tavalon]

12. Damn, a good little bit of self deprecating humor has fallen flat

If I have to explain how the right wing whackadoos here in America hate all things French then the joke is no longer funny. Oh, well. I actually look at Le Monde and other foreign newspapers often. I don't trust my own country's "reporting".

[tocqueville]

14. we are all humans... lol

[woo me with science]

8. Very interesting. It says something that he is there

instead of sitting in his house or in a cell looking at the barrel of a gun.

Maybe there is more hope than I thought that this reassessment or "probe" will actually mean something.

[tavalon]

9. No, you were right the first time

It won't be looked at. The PTB just decided they might be able to calm the locals with a quick cameo by their candidate.

[woo me with science]

10. Well, when they said they'd need ten days for the "probe,"

that was my first thought. Stall. It's hard to keep a revolutionary fervor going indefinitely.

Part of me thinks you are right, but I really hope something comes of this.

[tavalon]

13. I want to be wrong

I really do. I've thought Ackminawhackjob needed to go for a while. It was mildly amusing to see him and Bush try to outdo each other with their ape chest pounding but only mildly.

[Cal33]

15. I read that Iran's cleric with the highest power, Mr. Khameini (sp,?)

was pro candidate Moussavi. Mr. Moussavi requested an investigation of the election
count, and Mr. Khameini was going to give the orders to do so. I have no idea if this
is accurate or not. But if it is, then the election in Iran is not yet over.

[Aloha Spirit]

16. The election fraud is only part of the problem now. The violence with which protests were met

means that things can't go back to the way they were, in my opinion.
For that and for other reasons, the election like you said Cal33, is not yet over.
From what I understand:
As far as Ayatollah Khamanei, I remember he backed the incumbent somewhat late in the campaign season.
After the election, he supported the official results and chastised those who would dispute them.
Then Moussavi met with him in person to plead for an inquiry and Khamenei said to the Guardian Council "Thanks God Almighty, the elections were held well with high degree of reliability, soundness and tranquility. You too should follow up relevant issues through legal channels."
The Guardian Council has said they will certify the results within 10 days.
Some see the "inquiry" as a ploy, a delay tactic, I read this from analysts. others see it as a sign of hope, I read this from Iranians posting on twitter.
Khamenei is supposed to be in charge, and he doesn't tolerate dissent or disruptions.
Perhaps it is a sign of his weakening influence or of his defiance that he recommended a legal inquiry.
It's fair to say, though, that Ahmadinejad and his supporters abused and went beyong their power with regard to the election.
Ahmadinejad seems to have used the Intelligence Ministry as well as militia forces to control both information and people before during and after the election.
Some employees of the ministry expressed concern of fraud leading up to the election. Some think widespread cooperation with the election fraud was obtained through a fatwah.
But as far as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's reaction, it has been very pro-government and pro-maintaining the status quo, with the caveat that right now, one could read a lot into his harmless call for an inquiry just because it's so unusual for him to have changed his position at all.
One might be able to read more into it if he shows any sympathy for those who have suffered or died today.

[Cha]

17. So, if it was such a "landslide victory"

..why are there so many protesters?