International Protests

Street protests have erupted in the past couple of days in Iran, Katmandu, and Taiwan.  In Iran, the death of a prominent dissident cleric brought tens of thousands to the streets for anti-government demonstrations.  The death may serve as a catalyst for the nascent protest movement in Iran.  In Katmandu, police responded with violence ("excessive force" according to U.N. officials) as Maoists, who recently abandoned the government, blocked roads and staged a general strike.  And in Taiwan, tens of thousands of pro-independence protesters demonstrated on the eve of a visit by a mainland Chinese envoy.