Iran: Protesters or Rioters?

[shookalook]

SUCH A SHAME TO SPEW THIS COMICAL PARODY OFF AS A REAL NEWS SHOW. HAHAHAHA... WHAT A JOKE.

[scorpionkings]

Rioters are inciting a violent form of freedom of speech (which is wrong) while protesting is a form civilized freedom of speech!

That's my take anyways.

[morgoth195]

Big up to the resident about her Georgia (not the US state, the republic) question. I'm a Georgian-American, and Georgian protests against Saakashvili got virtually no coverage here. Know why? It's because Saakashvili is seen as a good guy - he is buddy-buddy with our government.

[ShadiIrani89]

Iranians who came to the street were not Riots, they want their vote back and they need democracy , If you see these protests they gave flowers to riot police!

[bornbillsmith]

The protesters were not violent.

The violence came from the police and by people who were against the protesters.

[nyma20]

It is a peaceful protest against a big fraud in election!

[puppettician]

It depends if we need their oil or not..... We always sway the poor to overthrow their govn't , unless they don't have oil. Then we do not give a shit.

[The61769]

easy to whine about oil when you have plenty of it.

[puppettician]

I am not whining. I say that we steal other people's resourses and tell the people over here that they are a threat to us. That is all I am saying.

[ShiekUrBooty]

who is "we" and what's your point about oil? Oil is a matter of US national security and the POTUS and US federal government has numbered powers or authority;

1) regulation of import/export,

2) regulation of interstate commerce,

3) crimes against the federal government,

and,

4) matters of national security.

Tell Brock O'Bama, the POTUS, that you want him to stop imports of oil, now. Or, risk being a hypocrite yourself.

[youwingameover]

It won't be done in a peaceful manner at least not over in Iran.

[krasyjoe]

jeez, the USA had the same reaction to student protesters in the 1960's.

[alberlu14]

Si quisiera ser un idealista, sin duda diría que la diferencia entre una protesta y un disturbio sería el respeto al derecho ajeno, en le momento en que una protesta rompe con el respeto a los derechos de los demás comienza el disturbio.

Pero como la realidad es otra la diferencia entre un termino a otro depende únicamente del lado ne que te encuentres!

[ARIGOLD12]

If the U.S citizens protested the election the exact same thing would happen!!

[Reqrezentin]

Rioters.

[teachtruth2U]

iran??i dnt know,but izlam??TERRO n FAKE religion.

[oXPocketpimPXo]

that 3rd person pisses me off

she lives in america.. a country based around freedom

alot of that freedom no longer exists and she is against what little portion of freedom we have left

[LittleEmoBoy001]

Michael Jackson has died.

[jgolowka]

Its a protest when I agree with their goal and a riot when I disagree with their goals. You can tell which side the media is on by which term they use.

[ReliableInsider]

Another way to put it is that we should all be scrutinizing the protesters in Iran and what they have to say and protesters in general even more than we do, because the more scrutiny we give street protesters, the less violent they have to be in order to get our attention.

[kundimaharaj]

eye-rain-eean LOL

[TrueCall]

Yeah some of these people can't even pronounce it right yet they think they know everything about what's going on. They watch 5 minutes worth of news or even read a history book and think they are masters. Then they have the nerve to tell me what I'm saying is wrong. I've lived there for almost my whole life then some stupid person tries to tell me I'm wrong. That really pisses me off.

[jackson32]

Even though the CIA and other shadowy outfits could be behind some of the violence, the Iranian people have a right to peacefully protest, and it doesn't look like their rulers are allowing it.

However it looks like Ahmadinejad did win, a pretty reliable looking poll - google "The Iranian People Speak" - showed Ahmadinejad leading by a more than 2-1 margin 3 weeks before the election. Also nobody has shown conclusive proof that the election was stolen.

[kyrgenth]

114 F in New Dehli?! Holy crap!

[sarrass1]

Of course the British and American media see the Iranian rioters as protesters. The US and British governments spent millions of dollars funding those 'protesters' and creating the myth of a fraudulent election. Election fraud would never happen in the USA. How was Bush elected again??? Also Iran has a religious leader who is an unelected head of state. Oops I forgot that us British have a religious leader who is an unelected head of state too. The queen. We should sort our own democracies out

[ReliableInsider]

sarrass1,

What are you saying?

The election was fraudulent. The turnout was well over 100% in many cities. As you know.

And the protesters are protesters.

Making the Supreme Leader in Iran as powerless as the Queen of England and giving a democratically elected official such as President Mousavi as much power within his own government as the British Prime Minister has would be a revolution.

[sarrass1]

reliableInsider The election wasn't fraudulent and there is no evidence that it was fraudulent. Mousavi was losing 2 to 1 in the pre-election opinion polls. The british and Americans are deliberately destabilising Iran. My point is that the British and Americans need to mind their own business. We have a lousy human rights record but as long as its foreigners being killed by us in a far away country and not in our own country then many people don't count it as abuse. We should sort ourselves out

[cheguerrilla]

Id like to see some evidence (if any exists) of US/British involvement until then its just another conspiracy theory, I'm pretty sure that Iran doesn't allow any independent election monitors so it would be pretty easy to claim that they won legitimately.

[ReliableInsider]

I agree that we have a lousy human rights record, but you seem to be citing the poll discussed on the Op-Ed page of the Washington Post. That's one poll. And it was taken a while ago. It said just one-third of Iranians were planning to vote for Ahmadinejad (and one-sixth were planning to vote for Mousavi).

It's one poll. On an Op-Ed page. An Op-Ed page is supposed to publish a diversity of opinions. It's not the Bible.

[ReliableInsider]

What we know about Iran now is that they occasionally shoot street protesters to death.

That's not the work of the British. That's just what is happening now in Tehran and we've all seen it with our own eyes in video form.

As I cited earlier, in fifty different cities in Iran, the turnout was "over 100%".

And you know my source for that. The Guardian Council itself!

[sarrass1]

Reliablensider Aparently the greater than 100% turnouts is a result of a flawed electoral system in which voters can and do vote in more than one city. Its not good but its not fraud. You can't just dismiss a nationwide opinion poll that shows Ahmadinajad leading by 2 to 1. It stretches credibility to suggerst that Mousavi could have overturned such a huge deficit.

[sarrass1]

Reliableinsider There is evidence of US and British involvementy in the disturbances in Iran. British and US media were transmitting disinformation into Iran. The US used the National Endowment for Democracy (which does overtly what the C I A used to do covertly) to channel funds to opposition groups and train oposition groups to supply propaganda to the mainstream media. Afghans whose villages have been bombed don't get to voice their opinions in the mainstream media.

[sarrass1]

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has a website that shows involvement in Iran. The US cannot claim not to have interfered. NED's primary purpose is to identify groups that could potentially destabilise governments and then channel large amounts of money into these groups through USAID and CIA front companies. Check out the website of the International Endowment for Democracy for many examples of the activities of the NED. journalist John Pilger made a good video about NEDs activities.

[ReliableInsider]

I'm a huge fan of democracy but I'm not a big fan of the National Endowment for Democracy.

We should abolish the CIA and have our entire foreign policy be non-covert. Government secrecy is like a refrigerator that's been turned off. Bad things breed.

But at the same time I think every nation should pay attention to every other nation.

If my neighbor is beating his wife, I'm getting involved.

[sarrass1]

Reliablensider I agree with you.

[jgolowka]

America is a wife-beater

[ReliableInsider]

America kidnaps -other- people's wives, and puts them in Guantanamo, and beats them.

That's different.

That's why Bush was so unpopular. The American People didn't like it. No matter -who- does it.

[TrueCall]

The correct way to pronounce it is 'eerahn' not I ran.

[CULAVE]

The demonstrators in Iran have every right to protest and the crackdown is appalling. But burning cars etc is not the way.

[CULAVE]

Unfortunately in every legitimate protest there are people who are just interested in destruction and unfortunately all will be tarred with the same brush. This happened at the G20 in London with hardcore anarchists and in Athens last year. However in Tehran the implications are much greater.

[mites7]

lol yeled kafot

[GoodLookingGrouch]

I think I just took a doo doo in my pants. Sorry : (

[Sconz32]

Heres' my opinion: I want to lay you down on a waterbed and feed you strawberries.

[CommentorX]

Sconz32, you do NOT want to eat anything with a laxative effect while on a waterbed. Trust me on this one.

[paul02144]

Great video Lori.

[mikma]

mikma was here

[Vidas666]

hi Lory , i can't get "Peace manner" LOL there are Asia Muslim country they have own style. At 2001 there was clashes in New York after W. Bush done some mess in Florida, now and others countries can follow same way and this is not only exception for Uncle Sam .

[bille2588]

Good job Lori

[wastedwhiteguy6978]

As a American I can honestly say that I could care less about the problems of Iran.

I'm concerned with the problems of my own country and am not some "citizen of planet earth"

I'm not worried about "the earth" I'm worried about my own country.

[bleuboia]

Well guess what, the US is a part of planet earth, and it plays a major role on the rest of the world. Just because you don't see this on the street in front of your house, doesn't mean the country under your feet won't play a role somehow. I say this as an American.

[wastedwhiteguy6978]

ll guess what.....We shouldn't be playing a major role in the rest of the world. We should take care of our own, and mind our own business as per the wishes of the founders and the very basis of this country!

You're right though the US is part of Planet earth.....Which is why we as Americans should mind our own business and concern ourselves with our "part" of the world.

I say that as a Constitutionalist and free thinking American.

[edlitz36]

Lori looks scrumptious in this video!

[patricknelson]

Violence is sometimes necessary to preserve your rights. Such as the right to vote or the right to free speech.

[Metroid02099]

She's right everyone does have a right to vote and protest, as long as it is peaceful.

[kermanshahi213]

And this is not the only Iranian election which was rigged. In Iranian history a standing president has never failed a re-election, this didn't come as such big surprise to me. Some were (re-)elected with as much as 98%.

[CommentorX]

The answer is obvious. If it's a black person, he's a rioter and a looter. If it's a white person, he's expressing his First Amendment freedom of expression.

Really, didn't you watch any of the news reports from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina?

[oblibious47]

CommenterX, lets face the plain facts:

1- They covered black ppl looting because they were the ones looting stupid & 2- They covered black pl rioting because ...THEY were the ones rioting!! I lived in NYC thru an electrical blackout & the media covered the looters, who happened to be black...gee it must have been difficult to avoid all those white ppl in the camera shots!! Now call me a racist, jackass. I'm just speaking the truth, and sometimes the truth hurts.

[CommentorX]

Oblibious47, check out snopes (dot) com/katrina/photos/looters (dot) asp. It's a reference to two news photos, both with people carrying bagged groceries. The captions state that the black guy "looted" while the white couple were "finding" groceries. It's an Internet meme.

Oh, yeah, and you are a racist, jackass.

[JoeFelice]

The lady at 0:55 should have a protest against protesting.

She's certainly not above hypocrisy, given how upset she is at the idea of people walking down the street for a cause without getting a PhD first, yet she is perfectly comfortable going on TELEVISION and ad-libing the bad vibes she feels with no real information to offer. lol.

[strongyang]

Its the media. They dictate the news, the audience, the views of the audience, collaboraae with the government. Giving their biase opinions about something due to political, or financial reasons(what benefits)

[ogier1]

Lori, rock on

and don't stop to deliver a global background to your compatriotes!

[j0hnwi11iams]

Well that was completely useless information. Do you intentionally filter out all the non stupid answers?

[tonyrueb]

i think protesting is peaceful, noninvasive, nonthreatning, and respectful. where as rioting is where damage to property occurs. acts of aggression to others, threating, disrespectful. a rule of thumb, if police are waring face shields or gas masks, and behind riot shields, throwing out teargas and shooting rubber bullets its a riot. i personally don't think this is a hard question

[ReliableInsider]

tonyrueb,

You're not describing protesters rioting. You're describing police rioting. The police should never riot. If they do, we should arrest the police chief.

[tonyrueb]

i would disagree with your statement. granted the later part could be interpreted as that but it does not change the fact that a protest is peaceful, noninvasive, nonthreatning, and respectful and rioting is damage to property occurs. acts of aggression to others, threating, disrespectful

[ReliableInsider]

I think normally you get a huge number of peaceful protesters and a handful of unrelated window-breakers. People shouldn't confuse the two separate groups or blame the peaceful protesters for any violent crimes that are committed by police officers.

There are three distinct groups at any rally. Or four.

[tonyrueb]

here is idea! when people start smashing windows, and u are a peaceful protester, get the hell out of the area, by being in a riot zone you can be found guilty by association (in the us) you dont have to throw rocks at police all you have to do is get close enough to get arrested.

[ReliableInsider]

That would just give anyone the power to shut down any street protest with one brick.

Peaceably assembling is a fundamental right and a key element of any democracy. The citizens need to be able to get one another's attention when things are going horribly wrong, as they are in election in Iran.

What should happen is that people watching protest on tv should distinguish between violent cops and innocent cops and between violent protestors and non-violent protesters.

They're all there.

[1happiness]

Protesting for Democracy and rioting against the tyrant Iran government. One day there will be revolution.

[yiannismihail]

Exactly. But wait.... Didn't something very much like this or worse happen to the craddle (haha) of Democracy when Bush swiped the elections from Gore? Yes. Be revolution one day will (or something)

[TheJeffShadowShow]

When the Shah of Iran decided to increase the price of a barrel of oil to $30, the USA got rid of him and helped install Khomeini. We're ALWAYS involved in everything that eventually harms us...

CUBA 1962 / CHILE 1973 / AFGHANISTAN 1980 / SOMALIA 1993 / IRAQ 2003

[yiannismihail]

And I seem to vaguely remember some support to the Vietkong to get the froggies out of Vietnam?

[httprover]

While protestors and rioters may both break laws it is a matter of degree. Peaceful protest may involve some civil disobedience and the protestors may face arrest as a result. Rioters may also be arrested and may in addition have to answer to criminal charges.

[oblibious47]

Lori, do you see a connection between hooking up with the Russians and losing THOUSANDS of views? You'd be wise to stop being a "communist tool".  Do you even get it? Very disappointed in you.

[dudeglove]

*cough* paycheck *cough*

[yiannismihail]

How old are you exactly?

[CommentorX]

Oblibious, you do know that Russia is a parliamentary republic now, right? Remember when the Soviet Union collapsed 18 years ago? You know, confusing memories for present day is an early sign of Alzheimer's. Maybe you should have that checked.

[CescBalboa]

1) Its not I-ranians. We are not a Ipod. Its Iranians.

2) I wll be back for more comments. Dont delete them this time.

[pazzmanmusic]

0:58 Facts of life lady?

[xOLDxCOWBOYx]

i didnt hear the question put to people specifically denoting iran, although that was inferred by many. i like the cause de jour observation, but am wholly in agreement with those who are rightfully calling the CIA card on the information we are getting on the net.

several surfers more astute than i pointed out several indicators that sure smell like company work. iranians probably remember the cia taking away their democracy and giving them the shah. not a good track record.

[MrNiceHk]

The Difference is between what the CIA want you to believe and what they dont GOOGLE Operation Ajax, we have been here before

[ctoma7]

328th!

[briggs9187]

Hey lori, is the money good? Russia pays well I guess......any ways, a country can vary on the meaning of protesting and rioting, they might be the same in Iran, the one thing is that a country where its people do not have a voice should not hold elections then, what is the point of showing a democratic face when its communist fist is punching them in the face.

[yiannismihail]

Ignorant rednecks please drop your keyboards and immediately return to your bogs.

[briggs9187]

are you talking to me or about the issue? why would the people not have the right to be unhappy with their government? Iranian people have the right to demand an answer to their questions and their uncertainties in regards to the voting process in their country...are you against democracy, the peoples right and their rights?...it seems so with your comments

[CommentorX]

Briggs, Iran is not a democracy. It is a theocracy, with an Ayatollah as supreme religious leader. The President is elected to give the illusion that the opinions of the proletariat matter. Kind of like the US, only without the Ron Paul supporters.

[briggs9187]

I understand, my earlier comment was that Iran was giving the fake face of Democracy, though I do not like the way they are running their country in the end it is their business, regardless how we look at it, they do not care and that is the reason they do not like us, we have too much freedom, Ron Paul Supporters...lol....

[kermanshahi213]

There are hardly any dictatorships which admit to be dictators. Almost every country in the world is a self-proclaimed democracy. But the fact is that in most third world countries "President" is just an alternate title to King as most of these dictators are President for Life and succeeded by their sons.

[yiannismihail]

Actually I am referring to your completely irrelevant communist remark. If that is what you understand about politics my comment is right on the mark.

[Yamakashi1]

"cuz they don't do the research"

stupid fukin bitch

[RAPMONSTAR]

obviously she hast done her research

[Blargaldalien]

Commrade Lori,

Thanks to the relatively peaceful civil rights marches in the 60's we can see what a protest march is. A riot forms, when persons with evil intentions join the protest, and then split off, to break laws.

Yes the media can skew an outsider's view of a protest.But with our wired global village,raw video shows what happens,usually with out a voice over.

I suspect our government will pull the "no control over nuclear material" card as an excuse to butt in. let's wait and see.

[RAPMONSTAR]

so what happens when protesters get opressed by the police forces and other govermental agencys?. so to you is as plain as good and evil? it cant be so simple

[Blargaldalien]

When the police / government opresses a nonviolent protest march,start a revolution. Some will die,but shear force of numbers,and commitment,and sacrifice will win.

[TheyROutThere]

As far as Obama, he needs to just stay out of it. If Obama backs the protests, and those protesters hear him and use him as inspiration, what happens if the Iranian gov starts mowing down people, hundreds...thousands dead...and we don't show up. Will those protesters like us more when we do nothing?

On the flipside...are we supposed to go into another war...we are leveraged out...militarily and financially. GOP is playing politics for next round of elections. Looking for talking points.

[TheyROutThere]

It's easy to cast judgments of what is right and what is wrong when you are merely an observer....

but amidst the chaos and agony, when it is your rights and freedoms being affected, when it is your life being threatened...that clear and distinct line separating protester and rioter begins to blur....especially when violence is the main tactic of the opposing side.

Police are supposed to protect the people, not be government troops. If that is the case, the people must protect each other.

[RAPMONSTAR]

very well put I like how you writte

[oblibious47]

Here's the REAL QUESTION: why is Obama trying to talk Iran's government into being responsible and humane & isolating Israel, a close ally? And at the same time ignore the youth & women of Iran who just want some basic human liberties? Obama talks a great game, but let's see where appeasement & being a crappy ally to our friends get us!!

[bigal21110]

As an Iranian American I believe that American media is not doing all these coverage for sake of Iranian people only but also for self interest and interest of groups that own them.

But I believe protesting for freedom and liberty is a basic right and that's what makes its different between Iran and other places in the world. In Iran all they are asking is freedom and their voice to be heard. Nothing more.

[woahzombies]

protests are organized. riots are aimless. i would best distinguish between the two after witnessing the outcome.

[timbosforporn]

I actually hope they topple their government because it would solve a lot of problems for us and in the middle-east.

[ReliableInsider]

Tim,

We should be cautious, though.

We helped them topple the government and replace democracy with dictatorship in 1953 and then they toppled the government in 1979 and replaced a secular police state with a fundamentalist religious police state.

It seems to get worse each time.

But you're right that Iran is not Somalia. They're a highly sophisticated nation that is MORE than ready for democracy.

[timbosforporn]

I honestly don't give a care about them having democracy as much as having a government that doesn't want to build nukes for the point of nuking us and their neighbors.

[timbosforporn]

Protest are peaceful, riots are a general destruction of their and their fellow citizens property, and revolutions is the urge to destroy channeled at their government which is what seem to be happening in Iran right now.

I hope they succeed at it.

[NsaneNtheNbrane]

This video implies that the protesters are causing all the violence in Iran. Most of the violence is coming from the government.

[oblibious47]

You are correct about the one of this video. It seems the resident has become a puppet of the Russian media!! No, Lori, say it ain't so!

[psp785]

protests ussuly turn into riots when people lose sight of the reason for taking a stand and just start making chaos on the streets.yes they have something to gain from this but this is rioting it's like they don't have any idea what to do so violence is being demonstrated.

I guess the next step is to keep going with the violence or start a revolution

[TheJeffShadowShow]

Riots in Iran I protest

are leading indeed to unrest

Let them march on

With vests they must don

Lest bullets crash into their chests!

[andreous7]

why does media take sides, all depends on who owns the broadcaster :-)

Chomsky: Manufacturing Consent

[MidiPunk]

They were axed to stop.

[DEATHINKING]

I call them 'Proprietors',

the people of any nation are the true owners of that country, not the government, or any one religious or politikill fanatic.

[CAlex6977]

Your shirt is great in this one. Dare I say Flavor of the month ;-)

[RobotGalvatron]

Damn hippies.

[aallppiinnee]

Good to know Laurie would have classified American Revolutionaries as "violent rioters."

[mistaspot1]

The media calls these Iranians protesters because we have something to gain from it, but when we were using the same exact tactics during the RNC and G20 protests, they called us rioters and terrorists and arrested us all and beat us up.

[epidemicstudios]

because you guys were self described "anarchists" and attacked officers

[xtoturnwithinx]

That was 1/6 of the people who were protesting these events. Get your facts straight.

[averagekid82]

Hot again.

Seems to me that a rioter does something in the art of violence and doesn't have a complete understanding of what they want. Ghandi/Martin Luther King. Both protesters, and non violent activists.

[hoosierhiver]

If you showered that morning, you're a protester. If you're stinky, then you are a rioter!

[FlowinEnno]

It seems to me like Democracy is more alive these days in the Iranian people than it is in many western countries. We've all came to view Democracy as something that's a given, but these people fight for their right tp participate and decide what's going on in their country. I didn't see any riots in Florida when Bush stole the election.

[aallppiinnee]

The Supreme Court ruled on the matter, not Bush, you idiot.

Where were you when news broke that tens of thousands of military absentee ballots were not counted in the 2008 presidental election?

[timbosforporn]

Actually you guys were going to recount until you got the election result you wanted but on every recount Bush came out on top.

YOu lost so get over it!

[ReliableInsider]

Tim,

You have an automatic recount when there's a close election in order to see who actually won. After the Florida Supreme Court decided that the recount should take place as normal, Bush SUED to stop the recount in midstream and the U.S. Supreme Court agreed that the recount should be stopped because allowing it to go on would hurt Bush. (their words)

If the 6000 Gore votes that were given to Buchanan were given back to Gore, Gore would have won Florida and the election by a big margin.

[timbosforporn]

Why would Buchanan votes go to Al gore or even why should they when they didn't even vote for Gore in the first place. Their neutral votes that voted for neither side.

[ReliableInsider]

Nobody disputes the fact that Gore got more votes in 2000 (by, about a half million vote margin).

Nobody.

And it turns out that the American People were right. Bush didn't keep America safe.

[ecoloscabos]

So why didnt anybody protest in the US? or DO something for that matter. Bush destroyed the US!! It will never be the same as it was before.

[Vidas666]

Furthermore Bush mess on US election in Florida at 2001 why others countries can't follow same way as long as i remember in New York was many student rounded and fundamental unjust LOL.

[iceman231]

2nd!!! lol

[audadvnc]

It's interesting that some people still believe that people should not protest against policies they disagree with. The human condition spans levels of consciousness from saintly to ignorant brutality - we can see it on the streets, every day.

[mistaspot1]

Yeah it's more than a little bit disturbing that someone would be "against" protesting. Lori was looking at that lady like she was some kind of fascist or freak...