Footage from 22 Bahman

Today marked the 31st anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, an event which overthrew the rule of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Over the past 31 years however, rule under an Islamic Republic has revealed patterns of brutality not unknown during the Pahlavi days. This has been especially true since the 2005 election of hardliner conservative Mahmoud Amandinejad. This brutality, along with his rigged re-election in 2009, served as the flash point for the Green Movement and the countless masses of Iranians that rose to the occasion today to protest the regime. This article, entitled Iranian Opposition in Standoff with Regime, provides a nice analysis of what was at stake today.

Personally, I have nothing at stake in these protests. I'm not Iranian, nor do I have family and friends living in Iran. However, I believe that human rights, including the right to protest, the right to vote, the right to speak, and a list of other rights, are universal. In other words, the sanctity of these rights are not halted by state boarders, nor are they to be allocated according to race, religion, or creed. To honor that belief, and to those brave Iranians that put their lives on the line for citizen empowerment, I thought I'd post links to some of the most notable video footage to arise thus far out of Bahman 22, or literally the 22nd day of the 11th month of the Persian calender. Later today, I'll be tweeting each of these videos. While not all of the videos are of great quality, all capture a slice of the atmosphere that transpired today. Please watch and remember that a human rights violation in Iran is a human rights violation against us all.

Please, if there are any videos you think are missing from this list, post a comment or drop DM me on twitter @stunetii.

Vid 1: Tehran Protesters throw rocks
Vid 2: Plain clothes police among Protest
Vid 3: Protesting in Tehran Metro Station
Vid 4: Protesting Inside Tehran Metro
Vid 5: (CNN) Iranian Demonstrator Unafraid
Vid 6: Propaganda Machine-Western Leaders are Stupid
Vid 7: Gas and Copters
Vid 8: Chanting down the Regime
Vid 9: Crowds and Copter
Vid 10: Patrons & Clients-Regime Supporters Getting Food
Vid 11: Ripping down Khamenei/Khomeini
Vid 12: Violence-The Regime's Recipe 4 Rule (good quality)
Vid 13: Riot Police Enter the Sadeghyeh Sq.
Vid 14: Karroubi among Protesters
Vid 15: Security Forces Throwing Tear Gas
Vid 16: Free Political Prisoners