As details of the death toll for January’s protests continue to emerge, three students explain why they are resisting a return to normality

As details of the death toll for January’s protests continue to emerge, three students explain why they are resisting a return to normality

More than 45 days after a brutal January crackdown that left thousands of Iranian protesters dead, students across several universities are protesting again. As Iran’s new academic term began on Saturday, students in Tehran gathered on campus, chanting anti-government slogans, despite a heavy security presence and plainclothes officers stationed outside university gates.

The Guardian spoke to protesting students about why they were rallying despite the fact that thousands had been killed and tens of thousands arrested in the January demonstrations.

“Our classrooms are empty because the graveyards are full,” said Hossein*, 21, a student at the University of Tehran. “It’s for them – our friends, classmates and compatriots, who were gunned down in front of our eyes, that we decided to boycott the classes.”

  • Riverside@reddthat.comEnglish
    12·
    4 days ago

    God forbid there is 1 space in my life not plastered with western imperialist propaganda

    • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      2·
      4 days ago

      If you’re going out of your way to avoid any information that conflicts with your preferred narrative, don’t act like contrary evidence doesn’t exist just because you haven’t seen it.

      • Riverside@reddthat.comEnglish
        12·
        4 days ago

        Hey I’m the one with both Hexbear and Reddthat accounts, not dodging anything. I’m just calling atrocity propaganda in the eve of invasion by its name.

        • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyzEnglish
          2·
          4 days ago

          The protests and their coverage started before the US admin leapt on it as an opportunity to justify military action. You’re discounting a people’s movement against an authoritarian regime just because some other authoritarian regime is trying to use them opportunistically.

          • Riverside@reddthat.comEnglish
            12·
            4 days ago

            The protests and their coverage famously happened months after Iran was literally bombed by the US, have you forgotten about that? The whole Iran throwing missiles to Israel thing?

              • Riverside@reddthat.comEnglish
                11·
                1 day ago

                Well, now the Zionists are bombing Iran. Do you admit you’ve been running Zionist propaganda?

                • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyzEnglish
                  1·
                  22 hours ago

                  It’s not zionist propaganda. It’s news about current events. Just because zionists latched onto it opportunistically doesn’t mean the whole thing is their doing, and it doesn’t discredit the New Iran movement either.

                  And you’re a really shitty person for not being able to see the difference.

                  From the start, as I’ve stated multiple times, my support is for the Iranian people in their struggle for autonomy and self-determination. You’re the one who’s been constantly desperate to insert Israel and the US into that narrative, even when the article in this post isn’t about them.