Iranian Students Chant “Death To Ahmadinejad”
“Why only Columbia? We have questions too,” read banners held by the students at Tehran University.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An estimated 100 students staged a rare demonstration Monday against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calling him a “dictator” and scuffling with hardline students at Tehran University.
Ahmadinejad, who was giving a speech to a select group at the university to mark the beginning of the academic year, ignored the chants of “death to the dictator” and continued with his speech on the merits of science and the pitfalls of Western-style democracy, witnesses said.
The protesters scuffled with hardline students who were chanting “thank you president” while police looked on from outside the university gates. The protesters dispersed after the car carrying Ahmadinejad left the campus. “Revolutionary president, we support you,” the hardline students shouted back, pushing and shoving those who were voicing opposition to Ahmadinejad.
Students were once the main power base of Iran’s reform movement but have faced intense pressure in recent years from Ahmadinejad’s hardline government, making anti-government protests rare.
The president faced a similar outburst during a speech last December when students at Amir Kabir Technical University called Ahmadinejad a dictator and set fire to his picture.
Hoping to avoid a similar disturbance Monday, organizers imposed tight security measures, checking the identity papers of all students entering the university and allowing only selected students into the hall. But the protesters were somehow able to gain entrance.
Iran’s reform movement peaked in the late 1990s after former reformist president Mohammad Khatami was elected and his supporters swept parliament. But hardliners who control the judiciary, security forces and powerful unelected bodies in the government stymied attempts to ease social and political restrictions.
Numerous pro-reform newspapers were shut down, and since Ahmadinejad’s election in 2005, those that remain have been muted in their criticism fearing closure.
At universities, pro-reform students have been marginalized, holding low-level meetings. They hold occasional demonstrations, usually to demand better school facilities or the release of detained colleagues. But pro-government student groups have grown more powerful.
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“An estimated 100 students staged a rare demonstration…”
Y’all better go find someplace to hide.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:04 amWhere are you Dan, Jim Jam, and TJ? People calling out A-Jad. Just think about the number of people in Iran who would happily do it but are afraid for their lives. As soon as the despots are removed you will see that Iran will be just fine.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:09 amI don’t know Kipp, we thought that about Iraq but we’re still their after all these years. I say we bomb the shit out of them but don’t invade.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:15 amOne can only hope that the “light” went on in someones head in DC and covert aid, funding, assistance, is finding it’s way there.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:40 amthey don’t seem very aggressive but the fear for their life might explain it
and in the meanwhile it would be not the first time that the regime organised such manifestations just to show that there is democraty in Iran
October 8th, 2007 at 10:44 amThose students are dead anyway, they might as well do it fighting. You take him out or we are gonna.
October 8th, 2007 at 11:26 amGreat. Now go hide. The clerics are known for making opponents to their regime “disappear”.
October 8th, 2007 at 11:44 amSteve M,
October 8th, 2007 at 12:57 pmYes, hopefully these 100 or so college students are now armed with AKs so they can kill Ahmadinejad, stage a coup, and start normalized relations with the West. And then Hollywood can make “100″, documenting how it all happened.
It was probably staged by the dictator of Iran to show the west how tolerant he is. (choke, cough, gag)
Either that or they are all in hiding now. Regardless - it is not enough to get giddy about the despots being removed anytime soon.
October 8th, 2007 at 8:59 pmThis is a small seen to a bigger picture…
October 8th, 2007 at 10:00 pmthis students manifestation was a fake
http://www.iran-resist.org/article3873
(use the google translator or babelfish)
October 9th, 2007 at 3:53 am