by Chris Bodenner
A new wave of support for the Egyptian people:
Iran's opposition group is hoping to hold a "peaceful rally" next Monday, February 14,
in support of protesters in Egypt. The country's opposition "green" movement would like to "declare support for the popular movements in the region, in particular, the freedom-seeking movements of the people of Egypt and Tunisia," said a letter from Mir Hussein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, two of the rally's organizers and presidential candidates that ran against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009.
Iran has typically denied permits for public rallies, but Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini has vocalized support of protesters in Egypt and Tunisia. The request for the rally has yet to be approved.
Scott Lucas puts the upcoming protest in context:
The approach by Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi for a permit to march on 25 Bahman (14 February), three days after the regime's celebration of the 1979 Revolution, is seeking to "blow fresh breath" into the opposition movement. After months of disappointment and frustration --- arguably, going back to this same point last year --- the hope is to show that there is still hope. Of course, the big question is whether this surge in discussion is occurring inside Iran as well.
And like Egypt and Tunisia, social media is there to help:
The Facebook page supporting the march of 25 Bahman now has more than 16,500 supporters.
(Cartoon via EA)