Turbulent Iranian universities & student protests

Authorities which anticipated to face new wave of protests with the new school year, called on suspected students who have had history of involving in student movements and protests in universities across Iran and threatened them about consequence of their actions with harsh words weeks before starting of school year but seems it had little effect on what students were about to do.

As you might know, Iranian students have seized any opportunity to protests against regime atrocities since 1979 Islamic revolution. In the beginning they were mostly leftist students but with Ayatollah Khomeini’s command, Islamic regime managed to purge most of them, mostly in mass execution/hanging style. Due to Iran-Iraq war, political terrors among rivals over power and extreme oppression state, universities were quite calm or better to say it was like fire under ashes, cold on the outside and ready to blaze deep down inside.

Until July 1999 that students fed up with ruling system, came out to protest against theocratic regime in streets of Tehran and then other major cities in Iran. This time Ayatollah khamenei commanded armed Basij militia to attack dormitories of Tehran University and set an example out of them. Students were killed, thrown out of balconies and beaten to death but it was far from over and they couldn’t shutdown the angry voices anymore than what they thought was the best course of action. Well, as all totalitarian regimes do.

Ayatollahs tighten the grip once again and new wave repression imposed on society and specially students which have been outspoken fraction of Iranian society (Not necessarily correct but outspoken). Now here we are after presidential election crisis and in the beginning of new school year, so far students managed to protest in two universities in Tehran, Tehran and Sharif University.

Tehran University, 28 September 2009. Take a look at photos!

Sharif University, 29 September 2009. Also check out these photos!

There have been rumors that regime might shutdown universities in order to stop student protests. We are not at that stage yet and it is hard to say, this was regime’s plan or green movement propaganda, I am not sure yet. I’ll fill you in when I get it all.