TEHRAN — As Iran’s opposition movement takes to the streets today, it does so having made little concrete progress despite eight months of protests, and must now make a choice between the relatively cautious path set by its leaders and the radical course advocated by some members.
Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who lost to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the disputed election last June, say the demonstrations are about staying true to the ideals of the Islamic republic and fully implementing the nation’s constitution. But many protesters, frustrated by the government’s uncompromising stance and continuing crackdown, are calling for the complete downfall of the 31-year-old system of clerical rule.
This growing fracture within the movement will be put to the test today. The anti-government demonstration, which will be held alongside pro-government rallies as millions of Iranians mark the anniversary of the Islamic revolution, could be the last opportunity for the opposition to stage a large protest for at least several months. Some within the movement say the chance to change Iran is slipping away.
“There could be 2 million people demonstrating against the government. What difference does it really make? The government has marginalized such events in the past. They ignore all demands,” said one political analyst, who declined to be named for fear of being arrested. “After Thursday’s protest, many people will draw the conclusion: What is the use of risking lives?”
Mousavi and Karroubi have appealed in statements and in interviews for the protests to remain peaceful and for demonstrators not to shout slogans against Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“What binds this movement is the demand for free elections, free media and respect for civil rights,” Karroubi said in a statement last week.
