The anti-government rallies that shook Tehran to its core following disputed elections have been given new life by the successful popular revolts in Tunisia and Egypt.
Authorities refused opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi’s request to hold a rally in the Iranian capital, but demonstrators planned to defy the order. Authorities have flooded the streets with police and Mousavi said access to his home and his phone lines have been cut off to prevent him from communicating with opposition forces. Protesters during the 2009 uprising called themselves the Green Party. But the movement was greeted by a brutal crackdown and accusations it was orchestrated by foreign powers.
