Picture Imperfect
The green revolution gathers outside the United Nations yesterday to protest President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech before the general assembly.
By Rob Anderson
September 24, 2009
Yesterday, protesters gathered in front of the United Nations in New York City as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prepared to speak to the general assembly. Composed mostly of Iranians from around the world, the protest called for democratic reform in Iran and registered opposition to Ahmadinejad. “Murder. Torture. Rape,” read signs held by protesters, “Hold him accountable.”
Yesterday’s event was a continuation of the “green revolution,” or protests that have been happening in Iran and around the world ever since the country’s June 12 elections. Protesters alleged fraud in the election and say Ahmadinejad’s presidency is illegitimate. The protests are largely fueled by the energy of young Iranians. Indeed, news spread quickly via Twitter this June when the Iranian government sent forces into the Tehran’s universities to ransack students’ computers.
One of the protest organizers, Sheida Jafari, is a 28-year-old artist and event organizer for a group called Voices for Iran. Jafari helped organize what may have been one of the largest gatherings of Iranians in exile since the protests immediately following the election in June. The crowd was made up of both young and old, and there were noticeable groups of young people chanting, marching, and filming the event on their phones and Flip cams.
Rob Anderson is a former editor of Campus Progress and is a student at Columbia University.
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