We’ve just received an email from Barbad with his personal message to be delivered at tomorrow’s symposium in advance of his paper being presented by Seamus. Here is the text of that email:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

A few minutes ago the Supreme Leader delivered his Friday Prayer sermon before the same blue curtain. He warned for street protests crackdown. The message is clear: Stop street protests or expect violence. Everyday there are massive street protests from supporters of the two reformist presidential candidates who were defeated not by peoples’ votes but by a preplanned coup d’etat and consequently a phony vote count.

According to Tehran’s current Mayor, last Monday, though we were threatened that they will use live rounds, three million dissidents joined one of our rallies. Which of you has seen such a thing? Those three-four hours were pure instants of freedom. When we arrived at Azadi square we lied on the grass in high spirits. I was filming a loved one who always wished to experience such moments of freedom. Then suddenly we heard several gunfires. At first we thought it’s the same old teargas that we are breathing ever since the Selection. But then we heard hundreds of thousands of people rushing towards a building on fire screaming: I will kill whoever killed my brother.

That day at least 7 were killed by Basijis.

The Supreme Leader finished his two sermons and prayed in the same trench, though a bit deeper this time, getting deeper each day. Through this tearstained glass I saw: it is us who will give birth astride on a  trench.

According to Amnesty International, till now at least 15 protesters have been killed (at least 5 students) and hundreds more injured or arrested by security forces, the police or Basiji militia.