Iranian students protest on university opening day

Iranian students at several universities began their new academic term with significant protest activities, a stark contrast to traditional ceremonies held in mourning. These protests took place on Saturday as part of ongoing demonstrations against the government, which have claimed thousands of lives since last month’s anti-government unrest.

The student gatherings aligned themselves with traditional mourning rituals that mark 40 days after security forces killed protesters during these recent demonstrations. Students at Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology, for example, demonstrated their discontent by marching in rows condemning Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “murderous leader” and calling for Reza Pahlavi—a figure seen as having ties to the previous regime—to be reinstated as monarch.

Local news agencies reported on footage showing clashes between protesters and pro-government groups, including Basij volunteers who often assist in maintaining order during protests. Clashes reportedly occurred at Iran’s top engineering university where students injured volunteer student Basij members with rocks. In these encounters, Basij militias have played a crucial role in suppressing unrest.

While the state-affiliated news outlets like SNN provided video coverage of these clashes and highlighted protesters’ grievances against Khamenei, independent organizations such as HAALVSH also documented the protests at other universities including Beheshti and Amir Kabir in Tehran and Mashhad University in northeastern Iran. Videos from these protests, however, have not been independently verified by Reuters.

In a specific western town known for its active protest scenes, Abdanan, demonstrators chanted slogans critical of both Khamenei and the Iranian regime after the arrest of an activist teacher. This continued unrest underscores the deep-seated dissatisfaction among students with current leadership in Iran.

The protests continue to highlight the enduring tensions within Iran’s society and politics, particularly concerning religious authority, political succession, and social change.