With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Iranian opposition leaders cancel anniversary protests

Fearing for people's safety, Iranian opposition leaders canceled a demonstration planned for the anniversary of last year's disputed presidential election, according to a statement posted on Facebook Thursday.

The protests were to have taken place Saturday. Iranians went to the polls a year ago on that day, and when word of fraud surfaced, so did public outrage. Widespread unrest gripped the Islamic republic as protesters clashed with police.

But the hard-line government's crackdown on the opposition -- known as the Green Movement and led by former presidential candidates Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karrubi -- has been, at times, brutal.

And the government has steadily been tightening its grip throughout the year, said a report issued Thursday by Human Right Watch, which has been monitoring the situation through interviews with people in Iran....
Read entire article at CNN