Everyone knew Iran’s presidential elections would be controversial, but no one suspected they’d result in the biggest and most violent revolt since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Demonstrations began after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected on June 12, having won 63 percent of the votes over opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi’s 34 percent.

Thousands of Moussavi supports have taken to the streets, demanding a new election. The protests, however, have left tens of demonstrators dead and hundreds injured.

Iran has since been on a virtual lockdown, with international news agencies banned from reporting inside Iran, and businesses closed throughout the country. For most of Kipp’s readers, however, the demonstrators are justified:  65 percent of respondents to our poll said “the people need to revolt.”

However, the Basijis, Iran’s paramilitary is reportedly kidnapping injured demonstrators from hospitals and isolating them in undisclosed locations. Families of wounded protesters claim they are unable to find their relatives.