A Deafening Silence

I haven't emphasized enough a key fact of the resistance so far. It has been overwhelmingly peaceful, and the crowds have been largely silent. From an email sent to Nico:

Above all, he kept repeating how shocked he was at the peaceful and civilized nature of the protests. For the majority of the 3 hour march earlier today, he said everyone was completely silent and simply holding up the "V" while they marched... No one, aside from the Basij, really wants any kind of violence. All the protestors want is democratic reform and to at least have their votes counted in an honest manner. In my cousin's own words: "We must think of constructive and positive outlets for the pressure and momentum the people of Iran have found. We must put Iran on a path towards a first-world nation with national cohesion among minorities and equal rights for all."

It seems clear that the protesters have shrewdly as well as sincerely adopted mass peaceful protests are their core weapon, and are coopting the slogans of the original revolution - "Allah O Akbar!" - to make inroads. The Basij and the imported Hezbollah thugs are the source of much of the violence - and the scant violence back has been directed at the Basij. But as we've seen, the protesters have also helped riot police, and some of them seem to quietly supportive and passive.