17 June, 2009 – guardian.co.uk

Anyone expecting another Prague Spring or Tiananmen Square does not understand the nature of Iranian society’s duality

With rival rallies and a return to street politics over the last three days, Tehran has come to look like Beirut over the last few years. Crowds too large for any camera to cover have been organised by pro- and anti-Ahmadinejad groups. The controversial president has the support of the state infrastructure and a revolutionary culture with 30 years of experience in mobilising millions. Meanwhile, the opposition has harnessed the energy of massive discontent from multiple cross-sections of society. But even as at least seven confirmed deaths have turned the tension here into tragedy, on e can be sure that Iranians, like the Lebanese, will choose anything but a return to civil strife and social breakdown.

Of course alarmist press coverage over the last few days is understandable. Most acutely because the Iranian government has pursued a self-defeating policy of blocking international press access and internet communication sites, making the outside world rely on video clips from phone cameras and blogs for information on the ground. Nor did authorities here help the situation by pouring riot police on to the streets and failing to restrain vigilante motorbike gangs in the days following the election results. These are hardly conditions suitable for good reporting.

Continue reading →