Tehran prepares for protests

Mehdi Karoubi , Opponent of Ahmadinejad and previous head of parliament in Iran, Joins protesters. None of the protesters like Mullahs but this one is being very brave.

By Jason Rezaian, San Fransisco Chronicle blog

Tomorrow, the anniversary of the Iranian revolution, is the last obvious day for some time that the opposition in Iran will use to protest the current government and most here expect that the streets will be filled with people from all sides of the political spectrum.
If the sounds coming from the streets of Tehran tonight — a combination of people chanting anti-government slogans from their rooftops and pro-government supporters lighting fireworks — are any indication, the rift within Iranian society continues to grow.

While many outside observers expect the protests to deliver a decisive blow to the Islamic system, the view from here is not so clear. In the past I’ve outlined why some of the sources of information on Iran these days are less than credible, and the importance of not getting carried away by opposition propaganda.

Ultimately whatever happens tomorrow will offer an update on who has the momentum, the regime or its opponents, but that’s not to say it won’t be a very significant day.

The status quo is untenable and it seems likely that in the long term we will see a freer, less hostile Iran emerge thanks to the protest movement and some of the most reliable Iranian commentators are now saying as much.

Still, the likelihood that the Islamic Republic — in name, at least — will cease to exist, seems very remote.