Region | Iran

Iranian protesters embrace Twitter

Iranians turn to social networking site Twitter to comfort and inspire others caught in Iranian crisis.

  • By Rabab Khan Community, Interactivity Editor
  • Published: 23:07 June 21, 2009
  • Gulf News

Dubai: Iranian Tweeters are not losing hope. They continue to update on social networking site Twitter despite the spiralling crisis and attempts by the local authorities to stop them.

With limited media coverage, a Tweet is proving to be their window to the world. With 140 characters as their voice, the Tweeters are adamant to be heard.

A Tweeter, Change_for_Iran, an Iranian student who was missing for a whole day, is back with his updates. Having attended a protest at his university, he narrates the sequence of events.

He wrote: "The university's doors were closed and we couldn't run anywhere! And then they started shooting tear gas at us. They were so many! Riot police, IRG [Iran Revolutionary Guards], Basiji! I managed to escape, but they captured so many people. All routes were blocked and if anyone stopped walking they would hit them brutally".

Several supporters responded with simple Tweets.

"Do not give up Iranians, we are proud of you," wrote follower Refrita.

Another popular Tweeter persiankiwi posted several updates after a silence of 12 hours.

He wrote: "Yahoo, Gmail and Hotmail [are] now completely out of service in Iran. All foreign satellite TV news has been stopped in Iran ...All of Mousavi's websites have been hacked today ...they fool us and now they want to fool the world!"

Most of the supporters have green profiles, which show their support for the movement.

Several video links are available on this profile, which are eyewitness accounts. Among the several videos and updates, one shows an Iranian protester, Neda, collapsing on the road after she was shot.

"Neda died with her eyes open. Shame on you if you keep yours shut," wrote one tweeter, RIPNEDA.

'They want to fool the world!', decry Tweeters

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