Posted on December 31, 2009 by valeri

Social Media has definitely change the way we share and get information in the past ten years, for example I did a quick search this morning on the current Iranian protests as I wanted to know what was actually going on there and youtube videos were some of the results that came up first on google.

I then went to youtube and did a quick search on Iranian protests and I was surprise to see the number of videos posted in the past few weeks about it. Most videos I found were posted by Iranian citizens using their mobiles and video cameras and so the videos have not been edited showing some disturbing images of what is actually happening there.

The Official Google Blog has also posted an article about it here where they talk about it.

At YouTube, we have been watching week after week as new videos have appeared on the site within hours of every single protest or similar event reported from Iran in the past six months. Thousands of uploads have brought the fear and tension of these protests to YouTube, inviting millions of views around the world. It is as if the revolts that are taking place could not do so outside the eye of the camera.

Unlike traditional news footage from foreign correspondents (currently prohibited in Iran), these videos are the voice of the people — unfiltered, unedited and with a single, sometimes disturbing point of view. No professional film could capture the one-to-one feeling of watching an ordinary citizen’s images of unrest in his or her own country.

I thought I share some of the videos with all of you here as well.

WARNING- Mature content – Some of the following videos contain violence and may be inappropriate for some viewers.

(Protesters Turn Over a Police Van)

ASHURA 2009: Iranians Protest in Tehran

ASHURA 2009: Iranians Protest in Tehran (Tehran On Fire)

Iran 27 Dec 09 Tehran Ashura Protest – Mobile footage

Another Iran 27 Dec 09 Tehran Ashura Protest – Mobile footage

The following link takes you to the youtube website Protester ran over and killed by Iranian Police, I added it as a link so if anyone wanted to view it you can actually visit the original post for it as I thought was quite disturbing.