Now, a year later, the masses that made up the movement have disappeared from the streets of Tehran. Dozens of protesters have been killed in clashes with determined government forces; hundreds have been arrested and put on trial. Faced with overwhelming force, without guidance or organization, the dissidents these days cannot agree on their goals, much less mount a significant challenge to the country’s leadership.
In their latest retreat, Mousavi and Karroubi on Thursday called off an anniversary demonstration that had been planned for weeks, saying they were acting “to safeguard the lives and properties of the people.”
“Why risk our lives to make a change, when it is completely unclear what the outcome will be?” asked Ali, an office manager who declined to be further identified for fear of retribution. “First we made our voices heard on the street, but we did not have a Plan B when faced with the harsh reaction of the state.”
Although civil movements typically witness the emergence of leaders at some point, most potential frontmen in Iran were swiftly arrested. In addition, as time went on, many protesters held conflicting ideas of the movement’s aims. Some wanted only the departure of Ahmadinejad; others, often inspired by activists abroad, advocated nothing less than the downfall of Iran’s system of Shiite Muslim clerical rule.
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