Thousands demonstrate in Stockholm for a free Iran
Published: 26 Jul 09 10:25 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/20912/20090726/
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in in Swedish cities and around the world to protest the re-election of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calling for the release of political prisoners.
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"We are demanding respect for human rights in Iran and the release of political prisoners," said one of the protest organisers, Mehrdad Darvishpour.
After protesting in the city centre, the crowd moved to the Iranian embassy.
Another smaller protest with dozens of people was held in Malmö in the south of the country.
In neighbouring Denmark, nearly a thousand protesters gathered before the country's parliament, organisers said.
Demonstrations were organised in about 100 cities worldwide on Saturday to denounce human rights violations in Iran.
Ahmadinejad's re-election has been hotly disputed by his main challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi, who says his victory was a result of massive vote rigging.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians poured into Tehran streets to protest their "stolen votes" after the election and security forces launched a crackdown in which at least 20 people died and more than 1,000 were arrested.
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Yes, "wheres-my-dinna-dad" technically won again (I don't think we will ever know how bent the elections were) . But like any country, if you don't like the rules you either change them from within the country of move out.
I cant see why Swedish tax payers would want to waste its taxes on patrolling these rallies that quite frankly have no political advantage for Sweden.
If the truth be know, Sweden wants more immigration to help expand the nation as it needs a larger workforce. Iran has a good amount of well educated citizens which are considered "good value for money" in terms of Swedish immigration.
Regardless of anyones views (pro or neg) regarding "wheres-my-dinna-dad". You cant deny that there are many people who do actually support him in his HOME country.
STOP WASTING SWEDISH TAX PAYERS MONEY
Unlike you and me, the vats majority of those protestors are already Swedish citizens who have paid their taxes for decades. So don't worry they're just using their paid taxes ;). Btw it doesn't mean that I agree with them or the way they organise the protest.
mobings
There are about 50'000 Iranians living in Sweden that most of them are already Swedish citizen. This is your narrow minded mind that think anyone who doesn't look blonde is not Swedish.
Anyways if these people really want change then they should go back to Iran and do something about it. Iranians are you with me. Without you Sweden will be such a peaceful country!!
have never heard such statements from any of my swedish friends
as the ones mentioned by Pacey and mobings
no wonder. a fast search on the history of the comments posted
by these people (eg. google for site:thelocal.se Pacey ) shows
how aggressive and rude they are. Furthere, it shows both
of them being immigrants themseleves, by how they look to learn
swedish language or looking for summer jobs, etc.
So people, if you are really willing for a better sweden
free of immigrants, first thing is that you collect your suitcases and
head back to where you came from. let the Swedes worry about their
country.
If the graduates have the right to puke and throw bottles and cans all over this town, then by goodness other peoples of Sweden should have theirs. I wonder what the yearly clean up cost is of the grads... verses these kind of demonstrations that some are griping for having police supervise. Maybe with the public eye more on the problems, more will help them find solutions?
IW
Thankyou for your false statement questioning my citizen status and referring to me as a member of a fascist group.
I still stand by my original statement.
I do not see the benefit of wasting Swedish TAX payers money on the demands of a MINORITY. Besides these protesters are not even being an active part of IRAN, since they are not residing there.
If any MINORITY wishes to make a protest about foreign politics unrelated to the country they are in, then they should finance this cause themselves rather than draining the state of precious TAX money for ideologies that most swedish tax payers couldn't give a monkeys about.
Truth hurts?. So what is you nationality?
You just repeated yourself. Why don't you get it? I'm not a Swedish citizen so I didn't waste Swedes' TAX MONEY in this demonstraions BUT these protesters are more than 90% Swedish citizens. If you're a Swedish citizen, they have the same right about the texes as you have. If you're not a Swedish citizen, you have no right to say anything about how Swedes' tax should be expended!!
I don't say that what they're doing is right or wrong. I say they have right to protest because they are Swedish and they their taxes. I'm not Swedish so I can't say if I agree or disagree. But all of my Swedish friends are truely welcoming and sincere to me as an Iranian who comes from backward thir-world. I've never seen anything like you,Pacey,mobings,..in Sweden so far. Where can I find people like you?
"Truth hurts?" - Not at all, if you had any clue about the truth you wouldn't be accusing everyone that disagrees with you with such hatred filled malice.
I am a fully fledged Swedish citizen.
The reason why I repeated myself was because you didnt listen and used hatred filled propaganda.
"90% were Swedish citizens" - Prove it !
Yes any swedish citizen or long term residents (even EU citizens) that pays or contributes to the Swedish tax authority has the right to services. But that doesn't mean that they have the right to drain public TAX for issues unrelated outside of Sweden.
Any demonstrations that utilizes swedish TAX payers money for issues not DIRECTLY effecting Swedish TAX payers is a FARSE. I could use the same BS and accuse you of being a hatred filled religious nut job for your slanderous and UNEDUCATED remarks.
STOP WASTING SWEDISH TAX PAYERS MONEY & USING HATRED FILLED EXTREMISM TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF A MINORITY.
It was you who spreaded your hatred against Swedish Iranians who were excercising their rights in protesting in the streets. I agree with you that their method is wrong and troublesome but not from your perspective. You deniy their rights as a Swedish citizen.
Draining tax money? Are you kidding me? Some police patrols cam't drain Swedish tax moneh!!!
For your info, I as a person full of hatred extremism filled with propaganda, have been asked several times by my different Swedish friends that I must stay in Sweden after my education is finished. See, not all Swedes are as close minded as you are. Tbh, you're the first Swede I see without Swedish lagom spirit.
Sweden does not require to open borders with Iran in order to gain access to its manpower.
Every year many Iranian well-educated work force immigrate to Canada or Australia. What are you on about?
Sweden has never been a destination for a work force before this year. It was quite impossible for a non-European to immigrate to Sweden as a work force.
So you also want to discuss that these Swedish-Iranian protesters are wasting their paid taxes. Fine, Thanks they will consider it!
Did anyone suggested to open the border? Btw, Canada and Australia opened their borders to QUALIFIED int'l work forces and they won. Sweden is unfrtunately home to un-educated asylum seekers. No wonder why foreigners do not have so much contrinutions to Swedish society. In fact they actualy can't do.
I didn't say that (PROPAGANDA MISQUOTE AGAIN)
2 - 0
Irrelevant drivel STFU.
3 - 0
Wrong again , come on prove the 90% BS you claimed ... we are waiting
4 - 0
More BS propaganda irrelevant BS
5 - 0
More irrelevant BS
6 - 0
I want to end this by saying the following.
The Swedish state made sure that extra security was put on for this rally.
What do you think it says about Sweden's view on these protesters?
UNSTABLE, DANGEROUS?
Now who's writing drivel?
Maybe. That's why I don't think this demons is effective as many Swedes won't get the purpose of this just by seeing people marching without having more info. So I don't agree with it. But I again can understand that they CAN do this demons according to their Swedish citizenship rights.
Why 90%? because the Swedish laws prior to Jan 2009 forbade work permit for non EU citizens so they are either a Master student like me (at most 200 or something) or Swedish citizens or some guests of these Swedish citizens). Then go to Swedish statistics websites to see how many Iranians live in Sweden. That figure -200 students and maybe 200 guests are number of Swedish citizen. Shall I draw a picture?
-- Rants from an engineering student who just happens to have lots of Persian friends!
What we are objecting to is the this so called "movement" is incurring high costs and expecting the majority of TAX payers of a nation to cover these costs, who have either no interest in this subject or may no agree to your opinion.
By making threats to justify your opposition to a regime that I have absolutely no interest in, makes you no better than that you accuse.
The fact is, Iran is a VERY divided nation
It is one thing to bring an issue to light.
It is another thing to expect a foreign nation to pay for a political rally that is non related to the majority of its tax payers, and marred with threats and violence.
Please accept my and anyone else's sympathy for the burden of being charged by such high rate of taxes here that has apparently made you think anything happens in this country is supposed to be financed by Swedish tax payers money. (continued below)
Besides, that would be a good idea if you consider the fact that flu season is fast approaching and everyone here is anxiously looking forward to see how decision makers are gonna use the so-called tax money to immunize the nation against swine flu.
I just got a clue, since they gotta pay unemployment checks of those who have lost their jobs due to financial crises along with paying for vaccinations costs, they are most likely gonna accept more international students and even foreign workforces to have access to more non-Swedish tax payers who are gonna pay for Swedes' immunizations costs by paying 25% Moms or 30% of income tax and not even getting an ordinary flu shot in return!
you're somehow right, but it may clarify if I say that no one is so naive to think that ahmadinejad is gonna step down, at least any time soon.
In fact, what has made people furious is that they have been looking forward to this election since even 2 years ago to say a big "NO" to the guy and his absurd Mentality towards governing the country and get rid of him. but once the results were announced he and those who arranged this fraud behind the scene, thought they could fool people showing their hand made upside down imaginary results which looked to the voters like they're told "we tell you what folks! as a matter of fact you don't know whom you've voted for yourselves but we actually know what your real intention was to turnout massively to the polling stations and that was because of your high rate of satisfaction of us. So here you go, you have voted for us while you didn't even know!!!"
This shameful ignoring behavior of the government beside A.N's performance during the last 4 years and of course other unsatisfactory issues that have always back of people's heads, led to a grow in people's demands from getting back their votes up to the extend of making the country free.
I am a US citizen born and brought up in NYC. I have lived Queens most of my life and that too with immigrants. I can say from my experience I have never seen a more 'duplicitious' nation as the Iranians. They come to the US,Europe and renounce their religion and become 'reverts' just to live here and when they are deported their lawyers go to courts and ask the judges that the life of their clients wont be safe there. WHat a piece of Bull!!
@ Irani: U say I am an immigrant I am a student and I dont want to live in Sweden. Oppurtunities beckon for me in the US. I want to learn the language since I want to enhance my cultural experience and about the job I would like to work legally unlike you guys who most of the time work in 'black jobs' and dont pay taxes and cheat the system.
The socalled Hezbollah,Hamas kill our journalists, soldiers etc. After the 79 revolution they killed so many Americans in our Embassy. I am sorry to say this but we should have finished these Ayatollah's off!!
Iran is not a divided country my friends. Their ethnic composition is predominatly persian more than 80% I think. The Iranians just try to spread instability in the rest of the world look at the Middle East as a shining example and do they dont use their territory dont have the balls to do that! They are experts at running 'proxy wars'. Cowards!!
Freedom of speech is not the right to say whatever you want but the right to criticize the government / powers that be without fear of persecution. Sweden allows open public demonstrations on all issues - a sign of a true democracy.
It is the police, not politicians, who decide if a protest is acceptable - making a decision based on safety and the degree of disturbance to other people at the given time and place. The cost of a demonstration such as the one described is probably similar to a (non-derby) game in the allsvenskan, i.e. not that much. Are we going to ban football because of the cost of policing?
By allowing such protests Sweden illuminates the huge difference between the free democracies and regimes such as Iran, where protest is crushed and demonstrations are strictly controlled. The fight to preserve and secure democracy cannot be restricted by national boundaries. The effects of the protests around the world on the people who are in Iran struggling to attain a democratic government cannot be overlooked.
hehehe :)
Furthermore, a fair share of them are iranian communists whose organisations actually took part of the revolution in iran against the sha. Their main grievience is that the clerics purged them before they could purge the clerics. Others still are sha supporters. What most of them have in common is that they oppose mousavi as much as the regime and generally seem to wish for the iranian regime to come crashing down in revolution, chaos, mayehem, death and rivers of blood. Why they want this is not clear, either they just dont understand politics or they are powerhungry extremists who believe their various organisations might claw some power in the desolation such a calamity would leave.
When coming upon iranian expats protesting the iranian regime, find out if they support mousavi (tactically or ideologically, it is not important, support is). If they do, they are serious people, if they dont they are simply fools or evil extremists.
You lock up unarmed people for 444 days or so and try negotiations( read Blackmail)!! What if the entire world does that to your 'illegal dual nationals here in Europe and America' and send you guys back on a one way ticket to Iran!!
Hope you will enjoy that!! Then make peace with your Ayatollah's which would just lend credence to my argument about your 'duplicitous' character!!
Where have the Iraniboy etc gone? Shipped to Iran?
And you seem to have wrongly assumed that I am from Iran, just because I told you to get your facts right. But I guess its an honest mistake from a "big IQ" person like you.
The islamic regime of Iran has executed 13 political prisoners of the balochi ethnic minority. The executions took place on Tuesday 14th July 2009 in a prison in the city of Zahedan the capital town of Iran occupied part of Balochestan. As usual they were accused of being members of the PRMI (People's Resistance Movement of Iran) known as Jondallah, a Baluch armed opposition group which campaigning against what they see as Persian and Shia Muslim oppression of their Baluch nation.
More:
http://baloch-community-sweden.blogspot.com/
Perhaps you can shove your whining up Ahmadinejad's ass.
thankyou for your comments.
Since you now are falsely trying to tar me with being considered pro Ahmadinejad,
then please let me congratulate you on your planing and execution to overthrow the current regime through violence and protests. You results are obviously to be congratulated based on your success rate LOL
Yours faithfully
Laughing in the rectal shadows of people who deserve to be on the Jeremy Kyle show.
Anyone remember Tibet or Darfur or any of those other places that were in vogue not too long ago?
Come on TL,
Run a fair game here.
Being biased is no way to run a news agency.
Nor is modifying a posters post without expressed authorization.
I am now going to officially right that letter to the swedish authorities regarding data protection / defamation.
(At least we Americans have an African president! )
You are ONE heartless individual, that's probably one of your charming features! Its ok, people aren't at anger state in mind with you, bcoz you don't steal anyones money; you just sit down and talk trash. Perhaps you've reached your maximum intellectual and mental capacity. And the theft part well, higher powers are in control, while brainwashing someone like you and I, where for now reason what so ever sit and argue.
I am amazed you class yourself as "American", considering your English & comprehension is so terrible.
In regards to your name calling, again is this the best you can come up with to justify your hatred?
If you had any true idea of the meaning and value of democracy, you wouldn't try to enforce your beliefs based on the minority vote of a country you are not residing in. As by doing this, it only contradicts the values of democracy.
I am guessing this poster (LolaAmerica) is a net "troll".
On my first post I only insulted you, and the second I noted that you and I only talk trash, that's all we can do and nothing else! I don't hate anyone believe me I don't, unless you tell me it's ahmadinejad, or Hitler or, any other dictatorship leaders out there.
As I mentioned I don't hate you, bcoz this is what we people end up doing, you and I both get in fight and insult one another, we can even get into physical fight, however what is the point of that? It's always going to be you and me and others like us who will get blamed and thrown under the bus.
Also, let's put aside the sarcasm-talk, and elaborate on how you see a democratic country or so?
You appear to be at a severe disadvantage here.
If you understood English properly you would understand that at no point did I "Attack you".
And your justification for your views is skewed at best.
You are obviously out of your depth, and your input only helps clarify this.
So with that in mind I am not going to entertain your posts any more, as it would be cruel given your condition.
Troll
-And I guess you really didn't read all my post, or perhaps didn't have your glasses at the time with you, either that or didn't read properly.
-It's ok, I forgive you, I guess all I can say it was nice talking to ya!
Ciao byke
Hey, love birds! Have you exchanged numbers yet?