they cracked heads. they used tear gas. and they successfully prevented any mass demonstration. and among the demonstrators, there has to be something of a loss of confidence. the repression is working. their leadership is rather weak. the two presidential candidates who called for the mass demonstrations are rather moderate. they are not in tune with the ones in the street who want to change the regime. and they never outlined a program, any kind of manifest o or direction. it said go out in the streets and essentially get beaten up. and that is a tall proposition if you are a demonstrator out there on their own. so the regime has succeeded today. and unless there is some later demonstration of the power of the opposition, it could be a turning point in this process and the one that regime will celebrate.