history and not just in the history of iran we have a civil rights movement that people are its leaders. of course, mr. mousavi, karubi, et cetera, are also representative of this movement, but not its leaders. >> reporter: some experts say the absence of a clear leader is precisely why the regime can't crush the opposition movement. after all, who does the government go after when it's not even sure who's leading the charge? so far the movement hasn't been able to spark political change. but a recent television debate, where state-run media invited an opposition supporter to speak, is perhaps the regime's first acknowledgment, this is a movement that cannot be ignored. one of the most effective ways to gauge the opposition movement's momentum has been their ability to target major holidays and calendar days in iran and essentially hijack government-sanctioned events to make their voices heard. the next date they're targeting, february 11th, the anniversary of the islamic revolution.