Highlights from the recent protests
Almost three months of nationwide protests in Iran has had many ups and downs and some important highlights that will be discussed int this section.
The Attack on the Sharif University of Technology
The students at the Sharif University of Technology have joined the uprising since the first days of popular protests sparked by the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini. Following the arrest of a number of Sharif University students by the security forces, on September 26, 2022, more than ten professors at this university went on strike in response to the arrest of these students, while supporting the nationwide protests, and they reiterated that they will not hold classes until the arrested students are released. Also, many students at the country’s universities and this university refused to attend the classroom by publishing statements speaking out against the suppression of protests and the arrest of students.
On Sunday, October 2, following the previous announcement and tight security measures, the students at Sharif University once again started a protest rally. In this gathering, they chanted slogans such as “The student is aware”, “We don’t want a fortress-like university, we don’t want it”, “The imprisoned student should be freed”, “Death to the dictator”, “Women, life, liberty” and “We feel shame for our scoundrel Basiji (Islamic militia)”. As time passed by on Sunday night, the security forces, including “plainclothes officers” and “the Basij militia”, attacked Sharif University and closed the entrance doors of the university. These forces started shooting on the university campus and injured a number of students by firing bullets.
As the violence intensified, the students were directed to the university parking lot at the instruction of security and university presidents to leave, but they were surrounded by security forces and at least 30 to 40 of them were arrested. In a statement, the Islamic Association of Sharif University Students, while confirming this attack, pointed to the role of plainclothes officers in suppressing and arresting students. The statement says: “The plainclothes officers ambushed the students with batons, weapons, and motorcycles on the first and second floors of the parking lot and shot plastic bullets and pellets from close range, especially towards the girls, stop them from leaving and detain the students.” This association also announced that on Saturday night many measures were taken to install new cameras and telecommunication antennas at the main entrance of the university with the aim of identifying protesting students online.
The images of the violent treatment of students and their suppression quickly went viral on social media students pleaded for help from the public. A group of citizens showed up in front of this university to support them, but they were not spared from the tear gas attack. A large number of citizens in the streets leading to Sharif University caused heavy traffic on Azadi Street at the intersection of Yadgar Imam Highway in the early hours of the morning. As the crisis escalated that night, Mohammad Ali Zolfigol, the Minister of Science, Research, and Technology, came to this university. He accused the protesting students of “wasting the country’s treasure” and added: “If you don’t follow the law, you’ll have to pay a price for it, no kidding or playing games.”
The doors of the university were finally opened that night after the minister interceded and the students managed to leave the place safely.
The attack on the Sharif University of Technology, one of the most prestigious universities in Iran, reverberated both inside and outside Iran. The Union of Scientific Societies of Social Sciences of the country, more than 265 professors from different universities in Iran, five Nobel Prize winners, and 300 professors from top American universities issued separate statements denouncing the attacks on Sharif University and demanding the immediate release of the detained students.
In the meantime, President Ebrahim Raisi said in a special meeting about the attack on Sharif University: “The United States, MEK, and other enemies of the country tried to pursue their anti-Iranian and anti-revolutionary goals inside Sharif University, but the awareness of the professors and noble students at this university foiled their efforts. Thankfully, these efforts couldn’t be attributed to Sharif University. Ali Shamsipour, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Science, and Hamidreza Taraghi, a former member of the of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and a member of Islamic Coalition Party (Mutalefeh), also claimed: “No military forces entered the university. Some students were detained outside the campus while taking part in the protests. No one was detained inside the university.”
The protest and strike at Sharif University continued unabated after that incident. On October 22, male and female students had lunch in the dining hall of this university in protest of gender segregation. A day later, the security officials, accompanied by the Basij forces of this university, tried to prevent students from entering for lunch by setting up tables and chairs in front of the entrance. An effort that was foiled due to the continued protest of the students and their perseverance to enter the dining hall.
In this regard, on October 24, the Board of Trustees of the Sharif University of Technology issued a statement prohibiting students from eating in the dining hall due to the “damages caused to this student hall” and regarding the events of October 23 in this university added: “Students who played a key role in causing unrest will not be allowed to enter the university until further notice, and the disciplinary committee will deal with them.” In the following days, male and female students protesting this situation spread some tablecloths in the university yard and had their lunch next to each other by sitting on the ground.
