The Wall Street Journal
A month ago, Gen. Muhammad-Ali Aziz Jaafari, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, vowed to stop further antiregime demonstrations in Iran and break what he termed "this chain of conspiracies." But this week the "chain" appeared to be as strong as ever: Students across the nation defied the general and his political masters by organizing numerous demonstrations on and off campus.
The various opposition groups that constitute the pro-democracy movement have already called for another series of demonstrations on Dec. 27, a holy day on the Muslim Shiite calendar. Meanwhile, the official calendar of the Islamic Republic includes 22 days during which the regime organizes massive public demonstrations to flex its muscles. Since the controversial presidential election last June, the pro-democracy movement, in a jujitsu-style move, has used the official days to undermine the regime.
![""]("http://s.wsj.net/img/icon_email.gif"){kind=icon}
![""]("http://s.wsj.net/img/icon_print.gif"){kind=icon}
![smaller]("http://s.wsj.net/img/icon_smaller.gif"){kind=icon}
![larger]("http://s.wsj.net/img/icon_larger.gif"){kind=icon}