Iran: Student Day Protest

The first modern Iranian university was founded in 1934. Ever since, Iranian university campuses have always been a center of political activities and protest. This was the start of Student Day protest.

On the morning of December 7, 1953, the Shah’s guards entered the Faculty of engineering, the core of the protests, to prevent any protests. After a while, two armed soldiers and an officer went to a class to make the arrests, 68 bullets were fired. Three young students Mostafa Bozorgnia, Ahmad Ghandchi, Mehdi Shariatrazavi, were murdered.

Student Day is the anniversary of the murder of those three students in University of Tehran on December 7, 1953 (16 Azar 1332 in the Iranian calendar) by Iranian police in the Shah’s era. Every year there are demonstrations at many universities organized by students.

A large number of students at Tehran’s Amirkabir University of Technology held a rally on Tuesday morning in solidarity with protesting and jailed workers, and students and teachers who are currently held behind bars.

Student Day Protest

The students, forming a long chain, were holding a variety of signs and chanting slogans:

amir kabir university of technology in tehran.
The Amir Kabir University of Technology in Tehran.

“Cannons, tanks, guns, they are no longer effective,” “Workers, students, unite, unite,” “Jailed workers, students & teachers must be released,” “Victory is close. Down with this deceptive government.”

noushiravani university in babol.
Noushiravani University in Babol ( north of Iran ).

The Mullahs’ regime, deeply concerned of the expanding college students’ protests and the number of protesters in this rally, dispatched its repressive and plainclothes agents to the campus to hold an anti-rally.

Students Not Silenced by Basij

Scenes posted on the internet show a large number of college students holding their lines and the regime’s Basij agents failing to encircle and/or silence them.

Students of Nooshirvani University in Babol, north of Iran, protesting the regime’s repressive measures on their campus. They were holding signs reading: “Universities are alive,” “Stop the crackdown against students,” “Students will not live in shame.”

sahand university in tabriz.
Sahand Univ. in Tabriz.

In other reports, students of Sahand Industrial College in Tabriz, northwest Iran, also held a protest rally.

The mullahs’ regime, deeply concerned of the expanding college students’ protests and the number of protesters in this rally, dispatched its repressive and plainclothes agents to the campus to hold an anti-rally.

student day protest at razi university in kermanshah
Razi University in Kermanshah.

One Student Injured

These individuals were chanting, “Hypocrite, seditionist, congratulations on your unity” to confront the students’ massive rally. However, the brave college students continued their demonstrations and reports even show scuffles at the scene. One college student was reportedly injured as a result. Scenes posted on the internet show a large number of college students holding their lines and the regime’s Basij agents failing to encircle and/or silence them.

In Semnan University (North East of Iran), The students, who gathered in front of the university’s main hall, were chanting, “Inflation, high prices, answer Rouhani!” When Iranian regime president Hassan Rouhani was entering the university hall, they challenged him on his promises to improve the economic situation. The student day protest continues.

Hassan Mahmoudi is a human rights advocate and Social Media journalist seeking democracy for Iran and peace for the region.