“How Can You Sleep At Night?” Protesters sound off to Ahmadinejad

by Denise Romano

During the events this week, NYC for Iran asked people what they would say to Ahmedinejad if they ever met him. The words speak for themselves.

“You are not an elected president,” said Marmary, who was visiting NY from Iran.

“You are not my president. You are a dictator,” said Mitra, also visiting NY from Iran.

“It would be very hard to get into a conversation with him. He knows how to screw up a conversation. He has no logic. I would ask the legal authorities to arrest him,” said Jay, 26, of Texas.

“How can you sleep at night? Your bed is drowning in blood. But he would never answer the question,” said Ethan, 27, of San Francisco.

“You are the master of narcissism. You are manipulative, self-indulgent, and self-centered. You are a user and an abuser,” said Maryann, 30-something, of Los Angeles.

For more on the events of this past week, see the following posts:
“Iran Alive” Film Protest w/ Human Screen, 9/22
“No to Ahmadinejad, Yes to Human Rights,” Protest at the United Nations, 9/23
Green Scroll March Across the Brooklyn Bridge, 9/24

Green Scroll March for Iran Across the Brooklyn Bridge, 9/24

See the full slideshow

by Denise Romano

UPDATE: Following the green scroll march, the crowd reconvened to protest outside of Ahmadinejad’s hotel for a second evening in a row. Watch the video.

ORIGINAL: For one hour today, the Brooklyn Bridge went green.

While there is no official count, attendees are saying more than 1,000 protesters marched with green scrolls from Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn to City Hall Park in Manhattan via the historic Brooklyn Bridge.

The gathering began small, with only around one hundred supporters. But by the time the scrolls began making their way across the bridge, the event had grown beyond expectations. From the Manhattan side, the bridge was a sea of green signs, banners and clothing.

As marchers exited the bridge, a slowly swelling crowd was greeting them with passionate chants of “Azadi! [Freedom!]” “Dorooghgoo! [Liar!]” and “Hey hey, ho ho, Ahmadinejad’s got to go!”, until everyone reached Manhattan. As a billboard truck passed, with a photo of Ahmadinejad captioned “Murder, Torture, Rape: Hold Ahmadinejad Accountable,” protesters alternated between cheers for the driver and boos for Iran’s controversial ‘President.’

The march kicked off the third and final day of protests against Ahmadinejad as he visited the city for the United Nations General Assembly. The protesters, organized by Where is My Vote? – New York Chapter, had gathered throughout the week in a series of diverse events, from a human screen film protest to a massive protest outside of United Nations Headquarters.

See the full slideshow or watch the videos below for more:

No to Ahmadinejad, Yes to Human Rights: Rally at the UN, 9/23

See the full slideshow

by Denise Romano

UPDATE (9/24. 10 a.m. ET): It has been reported that a small group of protesters discovered where Ahmadinejad was eating dinner and shouted slogans outside as he dined. Videos also surfaced late last night of protests outside of the Continental Hotel, where he and other officials were staying.

ORIGINAL: At the largest green movement rally in NYC so far, thousands of protesters marched from the Iranian Mission to United Nations Headquarters, chanting anti-Ahmadinejad slogans as Iran’s controversial ‘President’ prepared to speak at this week’s General Assembly.

The streets were filled with chants in Farsi and English, such as “Ya Hossein, Mir Hossein!” and “Liar, Liar, Go Away!” Iranian rapper Revolutions of the Mind performed a song about the election fallout in Iran. Giant green sheets were shot out of “guns” into the crowd, who held them up over their heads as protesters had ton in Tehran in June. Protesters donned “Solidarity with Iran” or other green t-shirts, wore masks to protect their families in Iran from retribution, and carried “Not My President” signs.

50-80 protesters remained outside of the United Nations until after 8 p.m., hoping to greet an exiting Ahmadinejad.

The marchers began gathering shortly after 11 a.m. By 4:30 p.m. the crowd size peaked at an unofficially estimated 4,000, with some estimates placing that number at 7,000 and 10,000. The event was organized by Where is My Vote? – New York Chapter and covered broadly by the mainstream media, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Voice of America, CNN, and others.

See the full slideshow or watch the videos below for more:

[Quotes and interviews with attendees coming shortly.]

“Iran Alive” Film Protest at the United Nations, 9/22

Click here to see the slideshow.

by Denise Romano

Tomorrow a massive protest is planned outside of the United Nations to oppose Iranian ‘President’ Ahmadinejad as he speaks at the General Assembly. Tonight, however, dozens of early comers gathered at 47th Street and 2nd Avenue for the “Iran Alive” Film Protest, organized by Where is My Vote?-NY Chapter.

Organizers gathered several volunteers clad in white to form a performing human screen, upon which was projected a video compilation of the summer’s events, as well as seemingly countless “Ahmadinejad is not my president” testimonies from Iranians in English and Farsi.

Just before the film began, the crowd shifted its attention to a group of arriving bicyclists. The group, Cycling for Human Rights in Iran, began their ride in Toronto three days before. Their arrival was met with huge applause and hundreds of camera flashes.

See a slideshow and watch the videos below for more.

[Interviews with attendees posted soon]

It’s The Least We Can Do

by Denise Romano

Bashir, 26, and Alaleh, 20, both from Washington, DC, are members of Project Nur and came out to participate in the Anti- Nokia Flashmob last week.

Bashir feels that the flash mob was the right thing to do.

“I feel that we should be creating a voice for Muslims in this country by doing these things often and creating a civic identity, which is lacking in the Muslim community, especially in the youth,” Bashir said.

Not Our Fight

Bashir is not Iranian, but Haitian, and felt that he must do something to show his support of the Iranian people.

“People our age are sacrificing their lives and their freedom,” he said. “This is freedom on a personal level, putting personal lives at risk and their families. They are being watched by the goverment.”

Alaleh, a first generation Iranian-American, agreed.

“This is not really my fight,” she said. “I have camaraderie and patriotism, but I am not the one throwing rocks and getting thrown in jail.”

The Domino Effect

Project Nur came up with the idea so people in the area – not necessarily Iranians – would know what is going on. They succeeded.

Atah, 9, from New York City, came out with his dad to participate in the flash mob. “I think that if people start noticing us, that it will help Iran and the protesters,” he said. “It will make the [Iranian] government stop sending over foreign policemen to attack them.”

Atah hopes the domino effect works.

“People will take notice of us and then they will start doing it and people who see them will start doing it,” he said. “It will have a great affect on Iran.”

It’s The Least We Can Do

Bashir said that we should use our freedom to our advantage.

“We have the time, space, food and liberty to be here and say what that we support them without threats,” he said. “It’s the least we can do as a people who want freedom.”