Author:
Publication: Iran va Jahan Network
Date: June 10, 2003
URL: http://iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news_en.pl?l=en&y=2003&m=06&d=10&a=8
Tonight for the first time, students
were joined by parents and other family members in a spontaneous, massive
protest in Tehran.
The apparent cause of this most
recent uprising has not been officially announced yet. However, as we approach
the fourth anniversary of the deadly and brutal attacks against students
in the protests of 1999 at Tehran University, tension at the universities
in Iran has been on the rise. Student demonstrations in Mashhad yesterday
were widely reported by Radio Farda and other news media.
According to the latest reports,
tonight's demonstrations became massive as thousands of parents and other
family members joined the student demonstrators while singing the anthem
"Aye Iran." Thousands of others joined the demonstration with their cars
by honking their horns in a rhythmic manner. According to an eyewitness
in Tehran, as of around 2 am, "the size and the intensity of the demonstrations
seem to be on the rise."
While western news media have not
yet published any reports in connection with these developments, the Iranian
satellite TV stations of Los Angeles reportedly have played a significant
role in alerting the population of Tehran and encouraging them to join
the students. In the past there has not been such massive support for the
students by the public. According to one report, after the appeal of the
TV stations of Los Angeles, people and cars rushed to the scene, causing
unprecedented traffic jams around the streets and boulevards leading to
the University dormitories at Amir-Abbad.
The slogans of the demonstrators
included: "Today Only Unity," "Down with Dictators," and "Down with Khamenei."
Many have been injured as the reaction of militia and secret police has
been most violent and inhumane, but we have no exact and reliable report
on the number of casualties.
