Termeh Mandegar

TEHRAN—The June 12, 2009, election in Iran allowed students to participate in another social and political event and show their presence. Twelve years earlier, students had been able to persuade the masses to elect the anti-establishment candidate, the reformist Mohammad Khatami. But the students soon became disenfranchised after Khatami failed to meet their demands, and after the bloody events of the summer of 1999, during which student dormitories were attacked by security forces. This alienation and disenfranchisement lead to the election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. During his presidency, pressure on students has increased dramatically. The authorities have limited any student behavior seen as criticism of the government to they point that they even shut down student association elections, which had been held every year.

The June 12 presidential election was an opportunity for the students once again to prove their effectiveness in shaping political movements: student groups are considered to be more organized than the rest of society. After the results of the disputed June 12 presidential election were announced, students began protesting, and from the very first days, the government began a crackdown against them.

The government tried to close down universities and postpone exams in order to prevent large numbers of students from gathering inside university campuses. As soon as school reopened in the fall, however, the students and the university environment became tense again. The demand of these students is no longer limited to holding a free and fair election. Now, they have friends who are in Iranian jails, many of whom received very long prison sentences.

The climax of the students’ protests could be seen on Iran’s National Student Day on December 7. Students began to protest and go on strike before the actual Student Day. Despite plans by the government to hold an official Student Day ceremony and include only the pro-Ahmadinejad students, other students, however, managed to hold their own demonstrations. These demonstrations were followed by another wave of popular uprisings.

It is extremely important to note that female students have been in the frontlines of this battle. They have fought neck to neck and shoulder to shoulder with their fellow male students. They have been hit and injured by the security forces just like their male counterparts. This use of violence by the government has made the student movement enter a new phase. Even after Student Day, students chanted for justice, saying they wanted their stolen votes back. In addition, students are now targeting the highest office of the land, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Anti-government presidential candidates now have become symbolic leaders of the protests, but the student movement has never followed these leaders, having always been independent, and self reliant. It seems that if the students’ demands are not met, they might ignore the cautions against violence and no longer act peacefully, because they have paid a heavy price in blood. Many students have died in recent months, and many more have been jailed or banned from continuing their education.

In the current situation, the regime in Iran is placing enormous pressure on politically active students. This pressure will only increase the students’ demands, and will allow them to utilize new ways to protest the government. In this process, the students will become more organized and unified. This will cause the politicization of campuses that were previously quiet and apolitical.

Termeh Mandegar is a journalist and activist in Iran