mousavi: "ready for martyrdom"

In a distinct show of defiance, Mousavi, the improbable leader of the opposition, declared to his supporters on Saturday night that he as "ready for martyrdom." Such an unabashed act of resistence, in response to Khamanei's threats of violent repercussions against those who deny the legitimacy of the election (Mousavi also told his supporters that "protesting to lies and fraud is your right"), cements the opposition's resistance to the regime. It answers the question of whether the protesters would meekly step down with a resounding no. And it demonstrates that, despite his insider status, Mousavi has fully committed himself to his unlikely role as a would-be revolutionary.

Seeing that their leader continue to whole-heartedly encourage their demonstrations, protesters continued pouring into the streets on Saturday, despite the denial of official permission for these demonstrates and the not-so-oblique threats of violence that accompanied them. Unsurprisingly, the regime matched their threats with action; police confrontations resulted in at least 13 deaths yesterday.