Yesterday afternoon Nico Pitney posted an email he received from a contact in Iran:
You couldn’t imagin what I saw tonight, I walked down many streets(Vali asr, keshavars, amir abad, Fatemi, Shademan, Satarkhan, Khosro), and I was injured by tears gas, but the main thing : The big killer group, called “Basij”, weared our special military service group -”Sepah”- dresses and they were all armed , I saw by myself one of them had only around 15 years old!!!! and he had the shot order! I saw a girl injured by gon shot (in Amir abad St.)! and there weren’t enough ambulances . I walked through Shademan St. they start shooting , a young boy in front of my eyes murdered , and 3 other people were injured , there were also a big fight between people and Basij at Tohid Sq. 7 people was murdered there, I walked from my company to my home , It was taken 4 hours and I couldn’t be able to make a video , cause I was in the middle of war!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The use of young teenagers in the Basiji was corroborated in a Facebook post which I received 3rd hand:
On Yadegar Freeway to Azadi Junction around 4 PM – there were people moving in small groups, and there were Basiji and riot police in full body armor walking through the people.In every street leading to Azadi Square there were many police waiting for the protestors, and keeping them from emerging onto Azadi Street.
The strategy of the police was to prevent the protestors from coalescing into a large group.
The people were being forced into the alleys by riot police, who then fired teargas canisters into them.
When large groups of people were forced into an alley and encountered lone members of the Basiji or riot police, the crowd protected them, making a shield around them, and allowed them to escape back to the main street.
Some of the Basiji forces looked quite young, even 14 or 16 years old. Many of them were clearly brought to Tehran from the villages.
Old women spoke to them, saying “You are like my child.” or “You are Iranian – these people are your brothers and sisters.”
Some of the riot police had tears in their eyes.
Many of the Basiji said things to us, such as “We are here to protect you from the foreign enemies who are making these disturbances. The people who have made these disturbances are not pro-Mousavi, they are against the Islamic government.”
At times, when the police or Basiji became too violent with the protestors, the protestors fought back with sticks and stones.
Many of the riot police and Basiji seemed more afraid of the crowd of protestors fighting back than the protestors were of them. They had fear in their eyes.
Anyone seen taking pictures, even with a mobile phone, was immediately arrested.
The crowd chanted slogans – the most popular was “God is Great!”
There were also cries of “Death to Dictatoriship!”
At one point, when the Basiji had shot and killed one of the protestors, the chant changed to “Death to Khamenei!” This was in Sattar Khan neighborhood.
Reports were coming from other places that more protestors had been killed by police.
In some places the police became outnumbered and stood together in groups on the street corners.
The crowds of protestors gathered around them and chanted “Don’t kill your brothers!”
Alley after alley it was a similar story.
In some streets the people had control. In others, the riot police and Basiji dominated.
Walking through some areas you would encounter a cloud of nearly invisible tear gas. Suddenly your eyes and throat are burning. Constant crying, eyes reddened.
In places even middle aged women could be seen breaking paving stones to hurl at police.
“Student Alley” where the dormitories of Tehran University are located, was blocked by a line of riot police.
There were fires burning on the street behind them, and people running along the street in both directions.
You could see the clashes and people running along the alleys and side streets – moving higher into Tehran as night fell.
The people were saying to each other as they passed by: “This is only the beginning. We will not stop.”
Tonight on the streets of Tehran, people are on their balconies, windows and rooftops, chanting “God is Great! God is Great!”
It is not clear what will happen tomorrow.
