http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1904726,00.html'Ahmadinejad Win No Longer a Done Deal', 9:30 p.m. IRTReports of out Tehran describe security forces shooting at protesters. No word yet on how widespread this shooting is or on casualties. (To see a photo from one of the incidents, click here. Be warned that the photo contains graphic content.) Dr. Trita Parsi, a U.S.-based Iran expert and head of the National Iranian-American Council, tells TIME that the hundreds of thousands of opposition supporters on the streets today have been emboldened by Supreme Leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei's backing down from his initial certification of the election result. "He came out first and said the results were certified, and people said he could not reverse himself," says Parsi. "Now he has, and the Guardian Council has asked for 10 days rather than the traditional three to verify the results.
Even if they still try to cheat, the message to Iranians is that the re-election of Ahmadinejad is no longer a done deal. They're protesting now not just because they're angry but because they believe they can win. "It seems like a psychological barrier has been overcome. They've seen (opposition leader Mir-Hossein) Mousavi stand firm and refuse to be intimidated by threats against him. People were warned that the authorities might shoot at them, but still they came out in the hundreds of thousands today. They've lost their fear. And state TV is carrying images of the demonstrations, which they've been avoiding. Something very important is happening here." — By Tony Karon