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October 24, 2024

Student movement and preemptive suppression by the government; what is the solution for students?/ Saqi Laqa’i

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Saqi Laga’i

The nationwide protests of December 2017, which were sparked by the economic and financial struggles of vulnerable social classes, quickly spread among various segments of the population in different provinces and cities without unified leadership. The slogans raised soon went beyond poverty and corruption and directly criticized domestic and foreign policies, reaching the top of the power hierarchy in the Islamic Republic and addressing the leader himself.

Although it has been about a week since these protests, the government was able to temporarily return the protesters to their homes by arresting about five thousand people and killing dozens of citizens during clashes or in detention centers. However, after 10 months, the wave of protests has continued in a more organized form through nationwide demonstrations and strikes, which is unprecedented in the 40-year history of the Islamic Republic.

Being ahead of the masses without the leadership of political and social groups was another characteristic of the nationwide protests in December 2017, which continued by various social groups including teachers, workers, women, and students. But what was the role of the student movement in these protests?

The history of the student movement in shaping political and social currents.

The history of the student movement and the role of students in political and social movements in Iran dates back to at least the early 1970s. An idealistic movement that, in alliance with Islamic seminary students, ultimately led to the 1979 Revolution. However, after the revolution, the majority of this movement was removed from the cycle of role-playing and handed over the arena to the Islamists.

In the first year after the 1957 revolution, the most fiery and perhaps, to put it figuratively, the most influential event in Iran took place, which was the occupation of the American embassy by a group of students known as the “Imam’s Line Students”. Its consequences still cast a shadow over the fate of the country.

With a brief look at the history of the revolution in the student sphere, it can be said that during this period, there were other groups of active student movements that gradually lost their platform to express their views due to their disagreement with the new rulers of the country. In late Farvardin of 1359 (April 1979), active political groups in universities, such as the Organization of Fedaian Guerrillas and the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization of Iran, were forced by the Revolutionary Council and with the approval of Ayatollah Khomeini to vacate their offices in universities after several days of violence that resulted in the death and injury of many people. This marked the beginning of the cultural revolution, which led to the closure of universities for more than two years. In fact, in the “cultural revolution” event, the new rulers of the country decided to dismantle the institution of the university as a whole in order to suppress and control the movements that were not in

From the mid-1970s, with the emergence of a movement from within the government – later known as the Reformist Movement – political activities in universities gained new life. Of course, various groups with different perspectives were not able to form organizations with their own names and identities, but they came together under the title of “Islamic Association” and stood alongside other organizations such as the “United Student Front” against the “Student Mobilization” – which was the base of the ruling regime. They played a role in the student protests on July 9, 1999, in Tehran and Tabriz, but were later met with severe suppression from the ruling regime.

Although other student movements did not have the right to form legal organizations, this restriction did not prevent them from forming and in the 1980s, various student groups played an active role in the country’s political and social movements – such as the protests of 1988. With the arrest and long-term imprisonment of some well-known figures of the student movement, as well as the forced departure of others from the country, student movements in universities were temporarily suppressed.

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Why are students being suppressed during the nationwide protests of December 2018?۸

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Until now

As mentioned before, the nationwide protests of December 2017 were formed from within the society and the masses, and students were among the groups present alongside the people. Although there is no accurate statistics on the arrests of students, according to Parvaneh Salahshouri, a representative of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, at least 150 students were arrested since December 2017.

According to the Tehran prosecutor, the detained students in the protests of December were sentenced to one month to 5 years in prison. (2) One of the characteristics of the sentences issued during this period for students was the addition of flogging to imprisonment and academic deprivation.

Despite the fact that it may seem that the student movement does not play a leadership role in this period of protests and nationwide strikes, the question remains: why does the government resort to such widespread pressure and suppression of students? Perhaps the main reason for this suppression and the government’s efforts to create fear and terror in universities is the potential historical capacity of the student movement in mobilizing and leading society in protests and confrontations with authority. The security and judicial institutions of the Islamic Republic are trying to preemptively suppress the student movement and prevent the formation of connections between the university and the streets.

The history of the student movement in Iran has shown suppression, threats, and persecution, which may temporarily halt the official activities of students, but the dynamism of young people in universities has not been waiting for official permission and has always found a way to make an impact.

Creating dialogue between former student activists inside and outside the country and facilitating discussions among these groups, forming conversations between former student movements and the new generation of student movements, transferring experiences to the new generation, and utilizing modern communication tools to establish secure connections and networking among students are some ways that can be used to benefit from the capacity of the ongoing popular protest movement that has been ongoing since last year.

Notes:

  1. Butterfly of Chivalry: 150 students have been arrested and 17 students have been sentenced, BBC Persian, 19 Tir month 1397.

  2. Tehran Prosecutor: Up to 5 years in prison for students involved in December protests, BBC Persian, July 1, 2018.

Created By: Saqhi Laghaei
November 22, 2018

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