Pro-democracy forces in Iran have raised their sights in their newest protest campaign, which started after the toppling of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Now, they are targeting Ayatollah Ali Khameni, the Supreme Leader of the theocracy.
According to a FoxNews.com report, these protests, while smaller, have engaged the country's youth. One 22-year-old protestor posted to Facebook shortly before dying in the violent crackdown earlier this week, "Almighty God, help me die standing up, rather than lying low in humiliation."
The change in focus has also rendered the Green Movement's leadership, including 2009 presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, currently targeted by pro-government forced to be placed on trial for sedition, less of a factor. Both former presidential candidates called for carrying out reforms within the system.
"Call for reform of the system is non-existent. These people want regime change," a former Iranian diplomat told FoxNews.com. The Iranian government is also divided, with some clerics, including Grand Ayatollah Sanei, criticizing the repressive tactics of pro-theocracy forces in Iran.
