The commemoration of the 53rd anniversary of Student Day began by breaking the western gate of Tehran University.
At noon today, a large crowd that had gathered to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of Student Day was prevented from entering the grounds of Tehran University by the security forces and the university's security personnel. While singing 'O Iran', 'High-school mate' and a Kurdish song they were pushed towards the western gate of Tehran University, where after breaking the gate, they entered the university.
According to eye-witnesses this year's slogans included:
- Incompetent minister, resign, resign
- Down with despotism
- Workers, students, unity, unity
- Free political prisoners.
Placards on display at the Tehran University Technical College included these slogans:
- Sexual discrimination must be abolished
- Zarafshan and Ossanlou must be freed
- Freedom, equality
- Socialism or barbarism?
- The people want bread not bombs
- We condemn any foreign intervention in the destiny of the Iranian people
- Three suicides, two murders and a death - that is our university
- Universities are not barracks
The demonstration in Tehran, and others in cities like Tabriz, mark the student protests against Richard Nixon's visit on 6 December 1953 (16 Azar 1332). Nixon, then the US vice president, was visiting Tehran less than four months after a CIA coup that had overthrown Dr Mohammad Mossadegh and brought the Shah back to power. This was at the height of the Cold War and the August 1953 coup d'etat in Iran was used later as a blueprint for many other CIA coups throughout the world - beginning with the overthrow of Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala just 10 months later!
At a time when anti-American feelings were running high and the Shah had not totally crushed all opposition, a visit by Nixon, one of McCarthy's henchmen, to one of the USSR's main southern neighbours was clearly calculated to show full US support for the monarchist regime. When on 6 December Tehran University students demonstrated against Nixon's presence in Iran the Shah's 'Immortal Guard' entered the university compound and brutally attacked them. They shot dead three of the students. Since then every year this date has been commemorated as a symbol of Iranian students' struggle against dictatorship and for social justice.
Today's demonstration, particularly with slogans like 'Workers, students, unity, unity' and 'Socialism or barbarism?', clearly shows that the radical and revolutionary traditions of the Iranian students' movement are alive and in good health.
Morad Shirin
6 December 2006