Bloggers have joined forces to fight against internet censorship in Iran, reports Stop Censoring Us.
A group of Iranian bloggers (full list here in Persian) have changed the names of their sites to Emrooz - one of the news websites targeted in a clampdown by the authorities.
The move is more than a show of solidarity, however. The bloggers - including Iranians based in other countries - are publishing content from Emrooz to ensure its articles can be read even when the government interferes with the site or arrests supportive technicians.
The most surprising thing about this bold move against censorship is just how quickly it has taken off.
In the last few days, according to one of the key campaigners, Hossein Derakhshan, "hundreds of Iranian bloggers have announced their support for the protest and the number is growing rapidly".
The story has also been picked up by BBC Persian and Radio Farda.
A major boost for the anti-censorship struggle comes from the support of none other than Iranian vice-president and celebrity blogger Mohammed Ali Abtahi.
His comments on the campaign are only available in Persian. But, according to Derakhshan, Mr Abtahi said "Mostafa Tajzadeh, the top reformist politician behind Emrooz website, is totally impressed by the wide-spread support of the Persian blogosphere".
Nevertheless, "the protest needs some publicity by Western media to be effective enough", says Derakhshan.
George Wright
