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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Demonstrations rock Teheran universities |
| 2006-05-24 |
| TEHERAN - Two of the Iranian capital’s main universities have been rocked by overnight protests and clashes between students and police, press reports said on Thursday. Some 40 police were lightly injured by stone throwing in front of the Teheran University dormitories, Teheran’s police chief, General Morteza Talaie, told the official news agency IRNA. Sources contacted by AFP said the protests were against the changing of university heads and the forced retirement of some professors. But General Talaie said Tuesday night’s unrest was “provoked by 20 or 30 supposed students joined by thugs from outside the university”. He said police responded with “tolerance and restraint” and arrested no students. “These people had their faces covered, but some of them have been identified,” the general said. Teheran University was the scene of violent clashes in 1999, when students protested over the closure of a pro-reform newspaper and the subsequent intervention by Islamist militiamen from the Basij force. Another university in Teheran was also reported to have seen protests late on Tuesday. Students at the Amir Kabir University, one of the country’s most prestigious technical colleges, demonstrated against “the intervention of Basij in elections” for members of the Islamic Student Association -- one of the few remaining pro-reform groups still operating on campus. The student news agency ISNA said protestors shouted slogans including “we don’t want the Islam of the Taleban” and “death to reactionaries and dictatorship.” |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #19 Just ask the students at Tien An Men square who were massacred by the hundreds and run over by tanks. Tehran, 24 May (AKI) - Fifteen Iranian students have disappeared after clashes with police at the University of Tehran, according to Ali Nikusebti, a leader of Iran's largest students' organisation, Tahkim Vahdat. "We have no news of our classmates since last night" when the clashes occurred, Nikusebti told Adnkronos International (AKI) on Wednesday. "Officially no student has been arrested and we fear that the 15 are being held by the secret services or by fundamentalists acting under police protection," said the students' leader. |
| Posted by: Steve 2006-05-24 20:34 |
| #18 They want jobs and their MTV. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-05-24 20:27 |
| #17 Whether or not it catches fire, we shall see. The US should be making every effort to insure that it does. |
| Posted by: doc 2006-05-24 18:05 |
| #16 good for the students. AFAICT this is the biggest protest in Teheran in almost 3 years, and its interesting that it comes right after the protests in Tabriz. Whether or not it catches fire, we shall see. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2006-05-24 15:21 |
| #15 Yes, it would be great to pry open a split here, but marching in the street will bring the Basij in the night, and we want to avoid that until we have the IEDs planted. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-05-24 15:06 |
| #14 Let's hope our boys from the farm are in there advising and assisting these students. This is great opportunity. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2006-05-24 14:39 |
| #13 Sources contacted by AFP said the protests were against the changing of university heads and the forced retirement of some professors. What, no tenure? No NEA? How can this BE???? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-05-24 14:38 |
| #12 Geek, Western support has been missing despite the courage shown by students in the past. While correct that, short of immediate military intervention, nothing will protect the students from the thugs, the West does have some leverage. Economically, the "smart sanctions" underway at European banks and worldwide companies that want to continue to do business with the US is a good start. While the UNSC dithers. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-05-24 14:34 |
| #11 but.... but.... but.... mcsegeek1, Tinanman square never happened -- Just ask Google (from a PC in China). |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-05-24 14:09 |
| #10 Well western 'support' would be great, but that support won't make a hill of beans bit of difference, at least not for the students. Just ask the students at Tien An Men square who were massacred by the hundreds and run over by tanks. |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-05-24 14:05 |
| #9 The moolahs don't take kindly to protesters. Let's hope the West shows some backbone and supports their efforts. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-05-24 14:02 |
| #8 Dear Iranian Students, Please change your leadership any way you can - while you're still alive to do so. Cordially, Your Friend, America |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-05-24 14:01 |
| #7 image of the demonstrations at: this link bottom of today posting |
| Posted by: mhw 2006-05-24 13:27 |
| #6 Nah, nothing political. The students are just happy that the Edmonton Oilers beat the Ducks. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2006-05-24 12:09 |
| #5 No blood for Allen! Heh! But it looks better spelt "Allan". |
| Posted by: Apostate 2006-05-24 11:57 |
| #4 I hope those thugs from outside the University are ours. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-05-24 11:32 |
| #3 I rioted in Teheran and all I got was this lousy Che T shirt! |
| Posted by: macofromoc 2006-05-24 11:26 |
| #2 No blood for Allen! |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-05-24 11:11 |
| #1 “we don’t want the Islam of the Taleban” and “death to reactionaries and dictatorship.” well ther you have it . anyone from the George Galloway school of thought care to comment? .. ooh wait a minute :) |
| Posted by: MacNails 2006-05-24 11:01 |