Many Iranians all around the world will say the same as we anxiously watch Iranians in Iran bravely fighting for votes that they believe were stolen from them.

Prior to the elections, IIO had spoken to several filmmakers about posting content on the elections. But due to the unexpected turn of events, those filmmakers are now protesters out in the streets. Their Internets are filtered, slowed down, and some report that all “sending” has been dismantled.

A friend of mine once said: “Iran is a country where miracles happen everyday” (translation: we in Iran figure out ways around the rules no matter what). Keeping true to this tradition, people are finding ways to post information and videos. Hackers are the new heroes. Facebook is filtered but every now and then it works and people post an update on their status. Some call in their friends abroad and ask them to post for them.

In this entry I have tried to gather some of the most interesting and commonly circulated videos available on the web. Many of the videos available are only in Farsi, so I used www.dotsub.com to translate for readers everywhere. I’ve also provided a list of links to what I think are the best articles on the matter and information on whose using twitter (courtesy of Vlogbrothers).

For basic information on the elections: bios of the presidential candidates and basic governing laws click here and here.

IMAGES FROM THE RIOTS

This video was widely circulated among the Iranian community, evoking sentiments of unity and solidarity.

From an Italian source, also widely circulated. The end shows a moment of compassion as protesters help an injured policeman.

Mobile upload of Tehran on the second night of the protests. Reformist candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi had called on all Iranians to chant Allah Akbar (God is Great).

ARE YOU SURE THE ELECTIONS WERE RIGGED?

A small minority of people ask me this question and some noteworthy articles have been written to argue such , but for the most part, empirical evidence on the street, common sense and some very good political analysis makes most firmly believe that they were rigged. I am one of those people and stand strong on this matter.

Here is a good video made by a non-Iranian which is witty, to-the-point and easy to understand:

To read more on the rigging visit Juan Cole’s website or read this in the Guardian or visit Tehran Bureau, a very good source of English news from off the ground in Iran.

ANGRY, FRUSTRATED, DIGNIFIED, NATIONALISTIC, PASSIONATE, BRAVE, SAD, DISAPPOINTED, ANXIOUS, FED UP, SCARED, HUMILIATED

Just some words expressing how the people of Iran are feeling. You can also read a very good NY Times op-ed article or keep track Iranians on Twitter.

We also get very mad when Ahmadinejad has televised interviews in which he denies any unrest and dissent

CITIZEN JOURNALISM AT ITS BEST

Unfortunately, the foreign press has for the most part done a rather mediocore job of reporting the events unfolding in Iran. One reason of course is that their reporting is totally controlled and after the protests began many were sent back home. It is for this reason that I find the need to spend my whole day following events through the Internet. What is happening over the Internet and what was happening through SMS text messaging before the elections is a phenomenon too big to for me to put into words.  Without the Internet the voices of those on the ground right now would not be heard and the footages that are availalble on the Internet wouldnt be available. Read this.

The Iranain people are not protesting for the first time. Protest is something common in our history. We have been through this many times. But with the Internet, social networks, we are connected, unified, more educated, less isolated, and more powerful.

As I write this post, I get more than 10 Facebook posts regarding the planned rally of the Reformist Mousavi, which was decalred as illegal but seems to be taking place nevertheless. I hear that the two “defeated” Reformist candadites, Mousavi and Karoobi are joining the people to calm them down. I see a comment on the post from someone in Iran saying “I will see you on the way”.

This is while no news website has reported on this yet…

BLOGS AND TWITTERS TO FOLLOW

Huffington Posts’ live blogging from Iran

Andrew Sullivan’s blog

http://twitter.com/iranelections