Arash Aramesh

Thousands of anti-government students turned out Monday for demonstrations commemorating Student Day in Iran. There were demonstrations and protests on every major campus in Tehran and most major cities including, Tabriz, Shiraz, Isfahan, and Mashhad. The government had beefed up security on and around most major campuses, anticipating a large turnout. On most campuses, security forces tried to keep the students within the university property, preventing them from joining other demonstrators outside the university.

In Tehran, Basij militiamen were present in large numbers. This time, they were also equipped with tear gas in addition to batons. The elite Revolutionary Guards and the police were also present on the scene. There were reports of dozens of arrests, but no one has been reported killed or seriously injured.

Iran’s official and semi-official news agencies, such as IRNA and Fars, reported that thousands of pro-government students led the demonstrations and downplayed what they called “a number of troublemakers.” IRNA posted several photos labeled “rioters” on its web site. Every year, the government holds ceremonies celebrating Student Day. This year, the government did not issue a permit for any ceremonies or demonstrations on Student Day, fearing it would become a legal gathering for the opposition movement.

Neither Mir-Hossein Moussavi nor Mehdi Karroubi, the leaders of the opposition movement in Iran, attended the protests. They were not the only ones absent in today’s demonstrations. The only major figure who participated in the protests was Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of former President Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani. Faezeh was greeted by students at Azad University. Students chanted slogans such as “Faezeh We Love You,” and “Thank You Faezeh.”

Fifty eight years ago and on the eve of then Vice President Nixon’s visit to Tehran, students at Tehran University organized protests and demonstration against Nixon’s visit and the large role that the Eisenhower administration played in Operation Ajax, the 1953 coup that toppled the democratically-elected government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. The Shah’s army opened fire and three students were killed. Ever since then, Iranian students have held demonstrations commemorating this day.