|
Iranian students stage protests to mark Students Day despite suppressive measures |
|
|
|
|
Thursday, 08 December 2005 |
 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 |
English
Francais
Deutsch
Italiano
العربيّة
