by Robert F. Worth and Nazila Fathi
photo by Ben Curtis
Iranian elections always bring a loosening of the rules on public speech and behavior, but many say this year’s election is different, in part because of the social crackdown of the past four years under Mr. Ahmadinejad.
“What’s happening now is more than what should happen before an election,” said Mashalah Shamsolvaezin, a political commentator and former director of several reformist newspapers. “This is an expression of protest and dissatisfaction by people. They are venting their frustration and feeling very powerful.”
Mr. Ahmadinejad’s campaign organized a huge rally in a prayer hall in central Tehran on Monday afternoon, where tens of thousands of chanting supporters gathered apparently in an effort to match the raucous outdoor rallies that are being held nightly by followers of Mir Hussein Moussavi, his leading challenger for the presidency.
More at Huge Campaign Rallies Snarl Tehran – NYTimes.com.
Would it be so awful to loosen the rules all the time?
