What Today Means

Here is a good analysis on what today means and what the protesters "want":

You know when you are running and running and running, every once in a while you need to stop and rest for a minute, especially if you have been out of shape for a long time?

You stop, you catch your breath, and each time you begin running again.

Commentators of all kinds are continuously asking “what the protesters hope to achieve” by participating in these demonstrations, rallies and religious functions.

I think for the most part, these rallies are all breathing corners, gatherings in which we can all stop, catch our breath, and take a look back at the population that has been running with us, a population we could not see while running in the confines and restrictions of our own homes.

We may hear about them online, or from friends, we may hear that the movement has not died and is as alive as ever, but we don’t know that. There’s no way to verify. To feel the pulse of the city. These demonstrations are verification meetings of sorts, where we come face to face with the thousands of nameless, faceless people just like us, who have kept this spirit alive. The “faces” of this movement, Mousavi, Khatami, etc can not do anything for us except help us keep it alive and running. They have the medium to be heard, while we are all restricted indoors.

Others are unhappy that the “movement” has not “achieved” anything so far.

This isn’t a movement that should achieve big changes in a small amount of time. The fact that we were out there today, the fact that we are STILL out there, is the biggest achievement of all. The fact that the establishment had to install Ahmadinejad and Ahmad Khatami, two of the most despised faces in Iran, that they had to shut down offices and give us a four day vacation to keep us away is a HUGE achievement on its own. This is not another chaotic movement which aims to achieve big political gains, in a short time.

What we plan to do? this is not a revolution, this is not abrupt, sudden change, this is a long, long waiting game, and achieving a waiting population is a tremendous achievement on its own. To keep people coming, and planning and hopeful will be the most difficult task of all.

So far, so good.