Iran Rally: "The Grip of Fear is Losing its Power"

Photoblogging: Davids Medienkritik Live at the Iran Freedom Rally

The march began in Philadelphia and ended today in Washington, D.C. Supporters of a free Iran, led by author Jerome Corsi, capped off a long two-week journey today with a rally in Lafayette Park in front of the White House. The marchers called for democracy and women's rights in Iran and an end to the tyranny of the mullah regime. The keynote speaker was former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Perle. Here are some photos:

The Marchers Arrive, Joining the Rally

Turnout Was Significantly Better than at the March Against Terror Two Weeks Ago

The Iranian Marchers Had a Clear Message for Europe...

...So Did Richard Perle: The Mullahs Must Go!

One Angry Heckler Did Show Up...And Loudly Accused Perle of Being an Israeli Spy...

But He Was Quickly Drowned Out by Shouts Of: "IRAN! IRAN!"

And So the Heckler Retreated to Join a Large Counter-Demonstration...

And a Starbucks-Drinking Comrade Joined Him to Picket the White House...

The Rally's Organizer, Jerome Corsi, Told Listeners: "The Grip of Fear is Losing its Power" in Iran.

And Baron Von Steuben, The Great German-American Freedom Fighter, Watched-Over the Happenings at Lafayette Park in Stately Silence...

This march was both encouraging and entertaining to attend and the crowd was really into the event. Richard Perle took the shouts of the lone heckler in stride and with good humor. He appropriately pointed out that those who shout and rail against the views of the government in Iran risk prison or even death. He was followed by Jerome Corsi, who proclaimed that the "mullahs who rule Iran have nothing to do with Islam. They have hijacked Islam."   

Let's hope Europeans take the message of these dissident Iranians to heart: It is time to stop coddling the theocratic Iranian dictators and it is high time that politicians like Joschka Fischer stop assuming that the Iranian mullahs are trustworthy diplomatic partners when it comes to nuclear weapons and world security.

(Photos and article by Ray D.)

Comments

[howarde]

FREEDOM THROUGH PEACEFUL PROTESTS

Well, I guess that's a good point, that eventually the tryanny will cease and everyone will be set free. Terrific. In the meantime, one or two generations, perhaps three or four, live in virtual slavery, submit to tortures and imprisonments, all the while thinking that soon all this will end.

Sure, eventually the Brownshirts would have tired of beating up peaceful protestors in Germany, and the OGPU in Russia would have seen the light after sending one or two million more to camps in the Siberian Gulag. Maybe...after shooting a few hundred more young men trying to leave East Germany, the Border Guards would have had a tinge of regret and only shot border-jumpers in the legs to cripple them. One day soon the Cuban Coast Guard will give the Balseros towels to dry off with and a two week vacation in a Tourist Zone hotel.
The German way (recently) is to use peaceful demonstrations until the Mullahs in Iran see the error of their ways, restore women's rights, and have some wurst and sauerkraut with the Chancellor while visiting Berlin.
Well, I'm of German lineage, but this is the first time I've heard of this approach. My Grosvater came to the U.S. in 1882, to escape serving in the German army, and what has been the history of Germany since?
Saddam killed over 300 thousand of his own people, but that's not many by European standards, is it? Way back the French beheaded 18,000 over a period of a few years and the dogs in Paris got fat licking up the blood beneath the platform. Castro has executed over 15,000 and the peaceful Cubans have waited for 46 years for him to suddenly give in to their protests. A good loud rasberry in the direction of Berlin.

[Jabba the Tutt]

The Left has no arguments, only personal attacks. 'Perle is an Israeli Spy' and 'Bush = War Criminal'. Since Bill Clinton institutionalized the 'politics of personal destruction', the Democrats and their pals on the Left, don't and can't make an argument to persuade people. They only name call and fear-monger.

BTW, for what it's worth, it was reported on the internet somewhere, that the Mullahs already have nuclear weapons, that can be mounted on missiles, the got the parts from North Korea via Pakistan. The whole 'uranium enrichment' issue was a distraction. So, 'US, Hands Off Iran' is an argument? The Mullahs are bringing on a catastrophe for the Iranian people (who are fantastic btw) and possibly for Israel, Palestinians, Americans and maybe even Europeans.

[Alex N.]

Well, I guess a lot of stuff is being made up, said and talked about in that kind of situation. Do you have a link to that source?

If however that turns out true, then one would have to reconsider the options, no? I think "disarming" one way or another is not going to happen then. This is why the US are trying to prevent nukes in the Mullahs' hands in the first place. I however think that this claim is untrue, because I believe if they really had them already, they would come out with it, as this claim would be their best protection and confuse the hell out of the Western intelligence and politicians. Then again, it might be that it is half-true: They already got all they need and are now still assembling and get their act together while playing on time with the Euros. But I think the Intelligence Community would know that, if YOU can read it on the internet and there was actually something to it. In this case, the West would surely agree to launch a surprise attack within a short time. Everything would become mood once Iran has got the nukes ready to go.

[lemmy]

I'm a Richard Pearle fan, but the neo-cons were a bit off of the mark when they said the Iraqis would welcome the US and Coalition forces with "open arms".

Perhaps too much stock was placed in that swindler Chalabi.

Hmmm, a neo-con version of what Newsweek did!

[Will]

I have no problem with Perle but I don't understand what this article has to do with German media.

[Ray D.]

@ Will,

No offense, but are we going to get this same sort of stale comment everytime we do a post not strictly about the German media?

Just to quote myself from the last time we got a comment like this:

We occasionally do have stories not about the German media. Every journalistic publication I know of sometimes deviates from its immediate focus. It would be boring if we ONLY talked about the German media ALL the time. So we don't and that is perfectly alright. If you really can't stand it, you are welcome to leave or just ignore the particular posts that don't interest you.

---Ray D.

[Ray D.]

@ lemmy,

Many Iraqis HAVE welcomed the Americans with open arms. You just don't ever hear about it in the media, because conflict sells, not harmony. You only seem to hear about the small minority of Islamo-wackos and Saddam loyalists blowing themselves up. But don't let that give you a false impression of the reality in Iraq and fool you into believing all Iraqis are like them.

---Ray D.

[Ma r t i n @ b l o g b a t]

I think having the gathering near the statue of Von Steuben was quite appropriate. Here is a man who came to the US and helped us win our freedom from British tyranny. This is an inseparable part of the spirit of America and with respect to spreading freedom around the world, George W. Bush and most Americans understand that.

[Will]

@Ray

I do find these comments pretty rude. Are you related to Bolton ? The old "Krawallo".

[Alex N.]

In fact, I believe Ray is just getting tired of other people, mostly the "holier than you" type, telling him how he should run his blog. So, no, I don't think he is Bolton or related to him just because of that. ;)

[Ray D.]

@ Will,

...YAWN...

Yeah, Bolton is my Krawallo blood-brother Will. You got me. It's so hard to hide the truth from brainiacs like you.

And I was rude to you? Did I come to your website and tell you how to run it...or was it the other way around? Anyway, you are obviously way too smart for me Will, so don't be totally offended if I ignore you from now on.

[Will]

@Alex

What makes you think I'm the holier-than-thou type?
This is a blog that could and should IMO debate German media, and I don't think a tiny demo in the US is particularly interesting. It doesn't fit in, and, no, I don't think the German media problem is boring and miniscule.
Ray can speak his mind and so can I.
If one doesn't want any feedback, he has to eliminate the "Comments" section.
(Note from David: No, we can just eliminate your comment and leaving all other comments in.)
For the time being I use my freedom to speak my mind.
(Note from David: No, you don't have the freedom to speak your mind in this blog. It's courtesy of Davids Medienkritik, if your "mind" is presented in this blog.)
You use normal language but he doesn't.
(Note from David: Ray used appropriate language for your Oberlehrer comment.)
Probably- but that's just a guess- he has my reservations about American support for the Likud in mind but I don't know that for a fact.
I presume it as I pointed out before that Germany isn't antisemitic at all ( but very anti-American) and people constantly pretend it's the other way around, at least this blog is about both.
(Note from David: Will, I don't delete this comment out of courtesy. But your next comment on this blog's concept will be deleted. Check our comment policy for the reasons. You can contact us via e-mail if you want to "speak your mind" about our posting strategy.)

[mamapajamas]

Ray: "Many Iraqis HAVE welcomed the Americans with open arms. You just don't ever hear about it in the media, because conflict sells, not harmony."

(Ignoring Will) This is true. What is also true... and being ignored by the media... is that Iraq was a massive case of post-traumatic stress on a national scale. They'd just spent 30 years under the heels of a dictator, and had no reason to trust anyone. It took a while for that to start wearing off, and for some it never will.