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Thousands in France rally to back Iran exile group
AP ^ | 35 mins ago | AUDREY HOROWITZ

Posted on 06/20/2009 6:23:18 PM PDT by jessduntno

Thousands in France rally to back Iran exile group By AUDREY HOROWITZ Associated Press Writer Posted: 06/20/2009 05:50:11 PM PDT

VILLEPINTE, France—Thousands of people gathered north of Paris on Saturday to support Iranian opposition protesters and an Iranian exile group pushing to be rid of a terrorist label.

Crowds spilled out of buses and filled the fairground in Villepinte under drizzly skies. Organizers said 1,000 buses were hired to bring protesters from around France and Europe, including legislators from several countries.

The rally was organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Organizers said 90,000 people turned out. Police estimates were not immediately available.

The France-based umbrella group includes the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, which was recently removed from the European Union's list of banned terrorist groups. The group, also known as the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, is trying to persuade the U.S. to stop classifying it as a terrorist group, as well.

The leader of the National Council, Maryam Rajavi, spoke Saturday to huge cheers, hailing the importance of resisting Iran's leadership.

The people in the crowd "want an end to the clerical dictatorship in Iran and they want a secular democracy which is represented by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi," said Alireza Jafarzadeh, one of the organizers of the French rally.

(Excerpt) Read more at santacruzsentinel.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: france; frenchmuslims; iran; mek
"Organizers said 1,000 buses were hired to bring protesters from around France and Europe, including legislators from several countries."

USA?

1 posted on 06/20/2009 6:23:18 PM PDT by jessduntno
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To: jessduntno

Maybe there is hope for the Persians who were conquered by the Arab Muslims in 642-644.


2 posted on 06/20/2009 6:33:12 PM PDT by Aroostook25
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To: jessduntno

MEK is a scary group. They’re no better than the mullahs. They really are Islamo-marxists.


3 posted on 06/20/2009 6:33:40 PM PDT by Shadow44
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To: Shadow44

If there were rallies in our country to support regime change in Iran I would be there to lend my support. It gladdens my heart to see people en masse rise up against tyranny and oppression there or in any country on the face of this planet. In fact I just wish it would happen more often. Military crackdowns don’t work when there is a lot more angry dissidents to tame then there are military to handle them. In fact, sometimes even the military are so fed up with their own governments that they join in with the protestors. It helps build up that momentum.


4 posted on 06/20/2009 6:38:05 PM PDT by Ev Reeman
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To: Shadow44

MEK is a scary group. They’re no better than the mullahs. They really are Islamo-marxists.

Perhaps...but it would be heartening to see ANY change, IMHO...


5 posted on 06/20/2009 6:40:13 PM PDT by jessduntno (July 4th, 2009. Washington DC. Gadsden Flags. Be There.)
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To: jessduntno

CNN is crediting Hussein’s Cairo speech for these demonstrations. They even had an ‘expert’ explain why.

Shephard Smith keeps gushing the words hopey changey....

All hail the exalted One.


6 posted on 06/20/2009 6:45:04 PM PDT by lacrew (The 274th trimester is a very late procedure)
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To: jessduntno

France was itself invaded ... a bit at the time ..


7 posted on 06/20/2009 6:47:01 PM PDT by Wontsubmit
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To: jessduntno

Yeah, that’s all we need now, the cult muslim marxists who are hated by the Iranian people.


8 posted on 06/20/2009 6:49:45 PM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: Wontsubmit

“France was itself invaded ... a bit at the time ..”

Sounds familiar...


9 posted on 06/20/2009 7:00:24 PM PDT by jessduntno (July 4th, 2009. Washington DC. Gadsden Flags. Be There.)
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To: nuconvert

“Yeah, that’s all we need now, the cult muslim marxists who are hated by the Iranian people.”

We’re dealing with it here, maybe they will be successful and we’ll learn something...


10 posted on 06/20/2009 7:01:24 PM PDT by jessduntno (July 4th, 2009. Washington DC. Gadsden Flags. Be There.)
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To: jessduntno

Get Twittered news on Iran at http://twitter.com/jenafern


11 posted on 06/20/2009 7:23:26 PM PDT by HighlyOpinionated (Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann in 2012. With Liz Cheney as Secretary of State.)
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To: jessduntno
Perhaps...but it would be heartening to see ANY change, IMHO...

Frying pan into fire is change too.

12 posted on 06/20/2009 7:38:00 PM PDT by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|"AlsoSprachTelethustra"-NonValueAdded|Lk21:36|FireTheLiar)
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To: sionnsar

“Perhaps...but it would be heartening to see ANY change, IMHO... Frying pan into fire is change too.”

True...but sometimes the fire burns itself out...runs out of feul, winds shift...I prefer the chances with the Devil we don’t know and the fact that change is possible will not be lost on the people...even if it is a bad change in the beginning...


13 posted on 06/20/2009 7:44:20 PM PDT by jessduntno (July 4th, 2009. Washington DC. Gadsden Flags. Be There.)
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To: jessduntno

As you wish...


14 posted on 06/20/2009 7:59:28 PM PDT by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|"AlsoSprachTelethustra"-NonValueAdded|Lk21:36|FireTheLiar)
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To: jessduntno

MEK is a crazy cult, on the level with Hezbollah or Al-Qaeda. Having the Iranians pick sides between the Mullahocracy in power and MEK as liberators is like choosing whether to back Stalin or Hitler, either way they lose. I wouldn’t even feel comfortable using them as a throwaway weapon to sap at the mullahs, because they’re that unhinged.


15 posted on 06/20/2009 9:22:16 PM PDT by Shadow44
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To: Shadow44

MEK is a crazy cult, on the level with Hezbollah or Al-Qaeda. Having the Iranians pick sides between the Mullahocracy in power and MEK as liberators is like choosing whether to back Stalin or Hitler,

No argument there...but something might happen during the transition...


16 posted on 06/20/2009 9:42:53 PM PDT by jessduntno (July 4th, 2009. Washington DC. Gadsden Flags. Be There.)
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To: jessduntno

...and Obama ate custard.


17 posted on 06/20/2009 10:30:48 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (The mob got President Barabbas; America got shafted)
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