Concurrent with ongoing nationwide strike and protests, Iranian students staged protest rallies and demonstrations on the occasion of the “Student Day” in Iran on December 7 which continued on December 8 at various universities despite extensive repressive measures and the arrest of a large number of students.
Earlier, a large numbers of university students had held protest rallies in solidarity with the striking workers as well as imprisoned students and teachers.
According to a Statement by the Iranian opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a group of students at the University of Tehran gathered in front of the university entrance on Saturday, December 8, and chanted anti-government slogans. This was despite the fact that repressive forces had blocked the streets around Tehran University in advance. Students from the Tehran Technical College also demonstrated while chanting: “Student would rather die than accept humiliation.” In addition, the students of the Faculty of Art chanted: “One, Two, Three, Freedom.”
The students of several other universities across the country also held similar protest gatherings and demonstrations on the same day including at Sharif University of Technology and Tarbiat Moallem University in Tehran, University of Nooshirvan in Babol, University of Tabriz, Garmsar University, Ahvaz University, Semnan University, Sahand University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Technology, Marand University, and Urmia University.
In their demonstrations, students chanted slogan: “Imprisoned students must be freed”. They also supported workers’ protests by chanting: “Imprisoned workers must be freed”.
In addition, on Sunday, December 9, students from several universities, including Tehran University and Allameh University, staged demonstration and rally and chanted: “Student, Worker, United, United!”
The Iranian regime’s suppressive forces, fearing spread of the demonstrations and protests, arrested a large number of university students from Tehran University and several other universities in recent days, and some students have been summoned and threatened by the Intelligence Ministry.
The Iranian Resistance (NCRI) called on all student unions and syndicates to support Iranian students and their peaceful demonstrations, and urged international human rights advocates to take immediate action to free the arrested students.
