Protesting students demand release of jailed students
Universities across the country marked Students Day on December 6th
In Tehran students of Amir Kabir Tech University staged their protest rally despite Bassij paramilitary forces attempting to prevent them. The rally witnessed slogans including, “Release all political prisoners,” “Students do not belong in prison,” “No to administrative corruption,” “Release Nargis Mohammadi,” “Students rather die than succumb to abjection.” In the Sharif Tech University students held a rally and chanted, “Release all political prisoners.”
Students of Science & Industrial University also held a rally, chanting, “Evin Prison accepts students,” “My dear Kianush, we continue your path,” “I hate chains.” They also raised posters written, “Jailed students must be release,” “Duration law must be cancelled.” Students of Teachers Training University raised placards written, “We demand expulsion of elements behind 2009 university crackdown.”
Students of National University forced state TV camera crews out of their session hall and chanted, “State radio & TV are a disgrace,” “State agents out.”
In the city of Yazd, central Iran, students of the law school disrupted a pro-regime session by chanting, “The establishment must be uprooted.”
Students of universities in Mazandaran and Ahvaz staged rallies and raised placards written, “Students don’t belong in prisons,” and “Students are aware and ready.”
Students of Asfarain Tech University turned the stage held for a regime governor to deliver a speech into a scene of protest. “Students rather die than succumb to abjection.”
Students of Andimeshk University protested a speech delivered by the governor and chanted, “The message of justice: struggle till freedom,” “Release all jailed college students.” These student protests were held across the country at a time when the mullahs’ regime held a ridiculous program dubbed “War of Joy,” attempting to quell student protests. These arrangements were held with hated mullahs and regime officials taking part, all boycotted and hated by the college students.
In Urmia, northwest Iran, only a few of the thousands of college students actually attended the session. Students of Tabriz University raised a placard in their rally written, “December 6 is the day of demanding justice and freedom, not war of joy?!”
In Semnan University, east of Tehran, regime officials attempted to hold a cultural event, only to be boycotted and ridiculed by the students. These students raised pictures of the students killed on December 7, 1953 by the Shah’s regime. These pictures were captioned as, “Today is not a day of dancing, but a day of commemorating killed college students.”
Hundreds of students of Tehran University turned the Student Day ceremony to a scene of protest against the repressive policies of the regime.
This protest move was coincident with the presence of mullah Rouhani at the university auditorium and despite widespread security measures by the agents of suppression organs including the Intelligence Ministry and special guard unit of the university. The students, who were prevented from entering the auditorium, marched across the campus. During the march they sang “Yar-e Dabestani” and chanted:
“Political prisoner must be freed”, “Student dies but does not accept humiliation”, “Noble students! Support, support”, “Student prisoners must be freed” and “University security should be abolished”.
They also protested against monetary law of university and the law called ‘Sanavat (years)’ enacted in order to extort money from students. They also distributed leaflets saying: “University is not garrison!”, “Prison is not a place for students”, and “why 1988 (massacre)”?
Suppressive measures of Basij forces to disperse students led to confrontation, and the students managed to force Basij forces to escape.
Despite the massive presence of repressive and anti-riot forces inside Tehran University and in front of its entrance gate and streets leading to the university, the student managed to stage their protest gathering. Police cars blocked the university entrance preventing the people to join protesting students.
Students of “Allameh Tabatabi” University in Tehran also chanted “Political prisoner must be freed” and “worker prisoners must be freed” in their protest gathering.
The regime’s intelligence agents called “Harasat” in Azad University of Saveh attacked and assaulted the students to prevent them from entering the campus. The regime’s mercenaries attack turned into a confrontation with students. The students chanted: “University is not garrison” and” Death to dictator”.
In Tabriz, the students staged a gathering in front of the university despite the widespread presence of intelligence and plainclothes agents of the regime. They chanted, “Our last message to the incompetent regime: the freedom- loving nation is ready to rise up!”
Zahedan university students also chanted in the ceremony held on December 5: “Student dies, but does not accept humiliation” and “political prisoner must be freed”. State officials prevented free entry of the students in order to prevent the formation of student protests.
On the same day, the students of Tehran ‘Tarbiat Modarres” University repeatedly interrupted the speech of Ma’soumeh Ebtekar, head of the Department of Environment of Rouhani, and chanted: “Political prisoner must be freed”. In protest at the catastrophic situation of air pollution in various cities, the students presented oxygen cylinder to Ma’soumeh Ebtekar.
Students of ‘Khajeh Nasir University’ in Tehran wrote on large banners that were installed on the walls of the amphitheater: “University is not a garrison, our university is alive”, “political prisoner must be freed”.
Iran: Young woman summoned to Intelligence Department
Civil activist Laila Mir-Ghaffari was summoned to the Intelligence Department in Tehran on December 6, 2016, to be interrogated on her activities.
The young woman had been arrested in a protest rally outside the Evin Prison last year on November 21, 2015, and taken to Varamin’s Qarchak Prison. She was released after a week on November 28, 2015, on a 500 million rial bail bond (equal to around $14,300).
Iran: Double-fold increase in the number of homeless women in Tehran
A member of Tehran’s City Council revealed that there has been a 100% growth in the number of homeless women in Tehran.
Fatemeh Daneshvar said, “Based on the statistics collected by Tehran Municipality’s social services patrols, 1026 women were rounded up in the streets in the period between October 2015 and March 2016. Among them, 544 were homeless women, and 482 were beggars. While in the period from March to September 2016, a total of 1598 women were rounded up including 1038 homeless women, and 560 were beggars. This shows a 100% rise in the number of homeless women which includes women who sleep in cardboard boxes in the streets or those who stay in ‘hangouts’.” (The state-run Tasnim news agency – December 5, 2016)
These official figures should be considered as minimum as there is no accurate method or system of data collection in Iran, while the government deliberately keeps part of these statistics secret in fear of public outrage.
Internet leads to further unrest, support increasing for MEK: senior mullah
Mullah Movahedi Kermani, head of the so-called “Enjoining Good and Forbidding Wrong” office in Tehran revealed how the Iranian regime is terrified of social media in Iran and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran gaining further support amongst the youth.
“The internet has led to further unrest and support for the PMOI, and leading to mental deviations,” he said.
“Today, the internet is more important than hijab regulations and even the elections. The elections and hijab are second and third. Unfortunately, we are witnessing traitorous measures by various officials in talking about the internet. Many officials have not made the public aware enough about the internet, saying it has similar pros and cons. This is not the case at all and there are many negative side-effects… Therefore, this needs special attention and we are engulfed with this issue as we speak,” he said as reported by state-run media outlets on Sunday, December 4th.
“Today’s cultural attack has targeted our wives, small children, and even the elderly. For example, if you are a guest at the house of one of your friends or relatives, you will see that everyone is plunged into their mobiles. Have we ever asked ourselves what is going on in these mobile phones and what are the people seeing?” Movahedin Kermani added.
“I received a report from the Assembly of Experts regarding the threats of the internet. I became aware about how the internet can literally uproot religion and Islam altogether. It has enormous power. Mal-veiling is not good, but the internet is a hundred times worse,” he continued.
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