11/5/2009
Iran Disputes Foreign Media Coverage...
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TIME
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Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009
Iran Disputes Press Coverage
of Day of Protests
By TIME Staff
Even while Iran's security and plainclothes Basij forces dispersed opposition rallies on Wednesday
with tear gas and batons, Iran's state-run media were complaining that foreign coverage of the
30th anniversary of the U.S. embassy takeover was not, to use an A merican phrase, fair and
balanced. The Islamic Republic News Agency, as part of its coverage of the protests in Tehran,
wrote that global news television stations such as al-Jazeera, CNN and France 24 were “seeking to
create widespread unrest ... by broadcasting phony stories and images.” Instead of reporting on the
“epic public turnout” for pro-government rallies outside of the former U.S. embassy, foreign news
reports “referred to a small group of agitators as ‘the people of Tehran.'”
For the record, thousands of individuals did take part in the official pro-government protests,
located on Taleghani Street outside of the former U.S. embassy. On neighboring streets, TIME
observed hundreds of parked buses that had brought in many of the attendants, including
schoolchildren, from outside of Tehran. Young Iranians, separated into groups of boys and girls
carrying Iranian flags, marched between the buses and chanted slogans against American power.
Yet many of them seemed less interested in vehement denunciation of the U.S. than in taking a
rare opportunity to glance furtively at the opposite sex. Nor was the annual political ritual's turnout
any more “epic” than attendance at most state functions. ( See pictures of the protests on the 30th
anniversary of the U.S. embassy takeover. )
Meanwhile, the four metro stations near the old embassy were closed to residents, forcing tens of
thousands of people who wished to attend opposition rallies to walk on foot around the winding
cordon of riot police. As protesters were pushed away from planned meeting spaces, smaller groups
of hundreds of people continued to march in nearby areas. TIME witnessed security forces lob tear-
gas canisters into one such crowd, scattering young and old green-clad Iranians into allies and side
streets. Some demonstrators — by now seasoned veterans in confronting the police — counseled
that applying cigarette smoke to the eyes eases burning sensations, as opposed to dousing the eyes
with water. This led to odd moments where teenage boys were seen blowing smoke into the eyes of
elderly women and vice versa. ( See pictures of protests against Iran's election around the world. )
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11/5/2009 Iran Disputes Foreign Media Coverage...
Given that many Iranian politicians and citizens have criticized the state-run media for a lack of
fair and balanced coverage, the fact that most domestic news outlets reported at all on the
opposition protests was striking. Instead of denying the existence of an opposition in Iran, pro-
government news organizations now use the more savvy method of spin — questioning the
motives, members and supporters of the “Green Movement.” ( Read about “Death to America” Day
and how Iran trained its young to protest. )
But now that another thy of challenge to the government in Iran's streets has passed, with both
sides declaring victory, where does the continuing post-election crisis in Iran stand? President
MahmoudAhmadlinejad faces a defiant popular movement, whose leaders and participants refuse
to back down, even as many of its members continue to be imprisoned and sentenced with heavy
jail terms. He has also been doggedly attacked by conservative members of the Iranian pariiament
on both domestic policy and the formeriy sacrosanct issue of negotiations with the West on Iran's
production of nuclear energy. On Oct. 27, the head of the Parliamentary Energy Committee stated
that Russia, which has positioned itself as a key player in any deal between Iran and the West, “has
turned its back on Iran many times ... despite Russia's claim to be Iran's friend.” This statement,
one of many coming from conservative political circles in the past week, seemed to undercut the
President's recent proclamation of the result of nuclear talks with the West as an Iranian “win.”
And when Ahmadinejad unexpectedly showed up in pariiament on Nov. 3 to push for his version of
a bill to reform Iran's food and energy subsidies, speaker of the pariiament and powerful
conservative Ali Larijani gave him icy treatment. Even before the 2009 presidential election, Iran's
pariiament served as a source of criticism against the perceived managerial incompetence of the
President.
Underiying the thily bickering is the increasing realization that, owing to the ongoing political
battles in the months since Iran's disputed election, Ahmadinejad's government may be growing
weaker rather than stronger. In the weeks and months ahead, observers should watch to see
whether the popular Green Movement or Ahmadinejad's conservative rivals will be the ones to
benefit, or whether this is the beginning of a long stalemate in Iranian politics.
See the top 10 players in Iran's power struggle.
See pictures of terrorism in Tehran .
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