Coup in Iran? Not at all, but signs of dissent

Michael Ledeen notices that iran went to some extremes to merely supress a 'pagan tradition'. He cites Re uters report on how the theocrats are supressing the Zoroasterian new year celebrations, which apparently consist of doing this:
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(as an aside, notice, this file is titled "india", but that caption notes its an iranian. )

reuters
Iranian authorities beat up and tear gassed exuberant young revellers as they breathed new life into a pre-Islamic fire festival with a night of dancing, flirting and fireworks.

now this ledeen guy

to say that the authorities "beat up and gassed" some "revelers" is quite an understatement, since, on the evening of March 15h, there were very large-scale demonstrations all over Iran, combining the Norooz celebrations with calls for the downfall of the regime itself. Effigies of top mullahs were burned in the streets.

Which seems difficult to gauge. Iran isn't a dissent friendly country. And the zoroasterians are 'pagans' to a degree so perhaps its not implausible that the iranian government is stamping out what they might genuinely see as a devilish practice.

Ledeen also notes

that there is a big Zoroastrian revival under way in Iran,

Any of the Zoroasterians on the board that can attest to that?

For those somewhat familiar with this religion, keep in mind that Zoroasterianism and Mithraism are somewhat linked, and, as is popular to point out here, christianity has some 'roots' in that field. So here we have a judeao-christian monotheistic religion stamping out a competeing paganistic cult.
The more things change the more they stay the same, no?

But I guess that its best to allow it to happen now and leave the mess up to future generations comfortably removed from it all to criticise.

ba, that was a little cynical no?