Iranian street has competing crowds

CNN:

Supporters of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his main political rival attended demonstrations at separate locations in Tehran on Tuesday amid continuing unrest and street protests over last week's presidential election.

With pro-Ahmadinejad crowds gathering at Vali Asr Square in central Tehran, Mir Hossein Moussavi urged his own supporters to cancel their plans to rally at the square following mass protests a day earlier in which seven people were reportedly killed.

Instead, his supporters gathered at a different location in Tehran, according to video footage of the rally.

The location could not be confirmed because of the restrictions imposed on foreign media Tuesday by the Iranian government.

Reporters from international news outlets, including CNN, have been relegated to broadcast from their hotel rooms and offices only. (Full story)

Moussavi's call came as the country's powerful Guardian Council announced a partial vote recount, an apparent U-turn after the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei endorsed ultraconservative Ahmadinejad's win.

Iran's Guardian Council met with the three opposition candidates -- Moussavi, Mehdi Karrubi and Mohsen Rezaie -- and asked them to specify the areas where they wanted a recount, a council spokesman told the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

Moussavi rejected the recount, according to an official close to his camp, demanding fresh elections and accusing the country's religious elite of trying to further manipulate the outcome of the original vote.

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It is interesting that Ahmadinejad feels the necessity of sending out a competing crowd. It is a recognition that he is losing the election on the street. The restrictions on the media are also a recognition that the regime is losing the street battle and it is trying to hide that fact. The message will continue to get out through the social media networks that it has been less successful in shutting down.

Right now the contest is taking place on the streets. It will be difficult for the Ayatollahs to resolve that with back room selective recounts.