Not that it’s made any headlines on this side of the world. Here’s the report I received:
Sunday, Jan. 27, was marked by the third day of protest by Tehran University students at the Kouy-e Daneshgah – or the students dormitory. The protest began by 250 students with a basic demand for improvement of the food quality at the KOUY, but it rapidly turned into a full-fledged political protest against the government as the protest progressed. The protesting students broke the door between the KOUY and the main campus and entered the area inside the School of Technology. By this time the crowd had grown to 1,000. Clashes broke out and a number of students suffered broken arms and heads. The State Security Force and the Special Guard, in full armed gears, threw stones and the students answered.
By 9.30 p.m., the students lit a big fire in the area of the School of Technology (FANNI) and chanted, “Death to the Dictator” and “Death to Tyranny”. They used molotov cocktails to defend themselves against guards’ attack. Some 60 students were injured and 40 were arrested. The guards covered the arrested students with sacks so that they could not be identified. The protest lasted until midnight.
The state-run press were compelled to report the three-day unrest, of course to minimize its importance. For example, the official news agency, IRNA, reported that there were no clashes between the students and the security forces and the protest was simply over food quality. Some of the press said the President has advised university officials to attend to the needs of students regarding food and other accommodations of the dorms.
Participating students in Sunday’s protest said the scene resembles the scene of protests by student in July 1999, when six days of student protests were joined by ordinary people and spread to the streets of central Tehran, seriously scaring the regime.
On Friday, 1,500 TU students marched out of the KOUY over low quality food and staged an angry demonstration on Amir Abad Ave. with anti-government slogans. They clashed with the special guards and were badly beaten up. A number of students were arrested.
The protest resumed in the cold afternoon of Saturday at 4.30 p.m. The crowd gradually swelled to 1,500 by 7.30 p.m. The students hurled stones at the State Security Force who had surrounded the university and blocked all streets leading to TU.
They chanted, “We want no rule of force, we want no mercenary police” – “People, why are you sitting down? Iran has become another Palestine” – “Students die but will not succumb” – “Children of Kaveh and Siavosh will not relent until the Islamic Republic regime is overthrown.”
The SSF clubed the students, breaking the noses, arms and legs of some 20 students. The SSF also brought Fire Engines and flushed water on the students who staged their protest under heavy snow until 10 p.m.
On Saturday, Jan. 26, workers of Kiyan Tire staged a protest at 9 a.m. They started by a sit-in in the factory while all the factory departments were shut down. Kiyan Tire workers have not received their wages of seven months and have terrible living conditions. Finally, they blocked Saveh Road and set fire to tires. Smoke filled all the area of Char Dangeh where the factory is located. All 2500 workers of the factory are on strike. The protest on Saturday lasted until noon. Workers said they would continue their protests until their demands are met.
I also learned of another major protest by workers of Alborz Tire Factory on Saturday. 2000 workers work at Alborz Tire Factory. They have not received their salaries for three months and this protest has been going on at least for a week. Angry workers chanted: “So much injustice (under an Islamic regime claiming justice of Imam Ali)” — “Death to Tyranny” — “Jobs, Salaries, Justice are our inalienable right” (This contradicts the official motto of Nuclear Energy is our inalienable right) — “A decent living is our inalienable right” — etc.
So much for a busy weekend.
Remember that the people of Iran, the students and workers and women wish to be heard by the world and they need your kind and sympathetic attention to their cause and naturally a decent reporting of their anti-government protests.
ML:
They wish to be heard by the world. If only the world were listening…
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