Wave of protests sweep Iran’s universities in response to PMOI call of support for student movement
NCRI – Despite an official clamp-down, Iranian students across the country, launched protest demonstrations to mark Iran’s Students Day on December 7. The Iranian regime, in an unprecedented move, declared the 7th and 8th of December as official holidays in the greater Tehran area and prevented access to universities, in response to a call by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran for commemoration protests on Students Day and in fear of student uprisings, under the pretext of an air pollution alert.
Hundreds of security and intelligence forces and paramilitary Basij took up positions around Tehran University from the early hours of today and prevented all gatherings. Scores of riot police vehicles patrolled adjacent areas. Large groups of special riot police stood ready in nearby streets. Many black colored vehicles of the police special unit occupied the traffic police position in Azadi Avenue.
Despite the move, protesting students gathered in front of the main gates of Tehran University and protested the clerical regime. Security forces were not able to disperse them.
The security director of Ministry of Sciences, who is responsible for espionage and suppression in the country’s universities, alluded to the student gathering in front of Tehran University and said that students can commemorate Students Day of December 7 next week. He added: “The three day recess is to the students’ advantage and they can rest in their homes.” During the past week and continuing into this week, in response to the PMOI call for a week of support for the student movement in Iran, a wave of protests has swept educational centers in Iran despite heavy security measures. Students held protest gatherings, distributed leaflets, and wrote graffiti in educational centers throughout the provinces of Tehran, Esfahan, Khorasan, East and West Azarbaijan, Fars, Khouzistan, Mazandaran, Arak, Semnan, Lorestan, Qom, Kermanshah, Chahrmahal and Bakhtiari, Sistan and Balouchestan, and others. Political prisoners in Gohardasht prison joined in solidarity with the students and began a hunger strike from December 6 which will continue until December 9.
The Iranian Resistance calls on all international organizations and bodies that advocate human rights and freedom of speech, and on all student associations and federations throughout the world, to condemn the suppression of students in Iran and support the Iranian students’ protests.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
December 7, 2005