Protest Rally of Students from Various Tehran Universities

A protest rally by students from various Tehran universities was held in an intense security atmosphere in front of Tehran University with chants against officials of Azad University. Simultaneously, calls have been made on social media for a gathering on Tuesday, December 31st.

This was the third consecutive day of student protests in response to a deadly bus accident involving the research center of Azad University, in which ten people were killed and 28 others injured, with one of them reported to be in critical condition.

Sardar Hossein Ashtari, the commander of the police force, warned on the eve of this gathering: “Students should know that holding any rally requires obtaining a permit from the Ministry of Interior.”

Since the evening of Sunday, December 30th, calls have been circulating on social media inviting students and people to participate in a protest rally in front of Tehran University.

From Monday afternoon, December 31st, videos from different corners of the protest in front of Tehran University began to be posted on social media.

Saham News reported on clashes with this gathering, but this report has not yet been confirmed by other sources and media outlets.

Slogans such as “Incompetent official, resign, resign” and “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, we are all together,” “Back to the enemy, face to the homeland” were chanted at this rally.

The political and security deputy of Tehran’s governor’s office said in this regard that “opportunists gathered in front of Tehran University.” He added: “This gathering was illegal and of course the situation is under control.” He stated “there are hands at work to create unrest.”

Social media reported the number of participants in this protest rally as hundreds. It is said that groups of students from various Tehran universities, including Tehran University, Sharif Industrial University, Amirkabir, and Science and Industry, were present at this gathering. It is reported that groups of ordinary citizens joined the protest rally in a show of solidarity.

According to ISNA news agency, Abdolazim Rezaei put the number of gatherers at 20 to 30, adding: “These gatherings did not need a permit from the governor’s or provincial office since they were held inside the university. But today some opportunists held scattered gatherings in front of Tehran University.”

Videos posted on social media show that at the same time armed security forces were present in the compound of the University of Science and Research in north Tehran to prevent the formation of student gatherings as in previous days.

So far, officials of Azad University have not shown a significant response to the fatal bus accident involving students from the University of Science and Research. Responses have been mostly justifications.

Criticisms have been particularly directed at Ali Akbar Velayati, the chairman of the board of trustees of the university, who has remained silent so far and has even refrained from expressing condolences.

In this accident, 9 students and the father of one of the students who was on the bus with his daughter were killed, and 28 others are injured, but none of the university officials have apologized so far. The president of Azad University has only said in his conversations with reporters that responsibility for this incident lies with the previous officials of Azad University.

According to ISNA, Mohammad Reza Aref, head of the reformist faction in parliament, referring to the presence of Azad University’s president in an education and research commission session, said: “The president of Azad University is expected to present a report to the commission.”

Aref added: “Our expectation is that there will be no buck-passing at Azad University in dealing with this incident; in any case, the current managers of this university are responsible. When they accept responsibility, it must be consciously and with an understanding of the conditions, quickly addressing the deficiencies.”

He recalled: The use of non-standard and unreliable vehicles cannot be justified, as apparently some of these vehicles have not had a technical inspection for several years. The technical inspection of the fateful bus dated back to 2012, the result of which led to this tragic event.

Calls of solidarity with Azad University students have been posted on social media, and citizens across the country have been asked to be present in university squares across the country on Tuesday, December 31st, on the occasion of the seventh day of the victims of this incident.

Source: DW