Reported by PMOI/MEK
Iran, Dec. 31, 2018 – On Monday, the students of Azad University’s Science and Research branch in Tehran held demonstrations in protest to last week’s tragic bus incident, which left ten dead and dozens injured. The protesting students sat in the middle of the street and blocked the road.
At the same time, college students of Tehran University rallied and held a march on Monday outside the campus, protesting crackdown measures against college students of Azad University’s Science and Research branch.
The students were chanting, “No fear, we’re all together” and “Incompetent officials, resign, resign.”
Reports also indicate protesters clashing with oppressive security forces as authorities are taking measures to prevent the rally from expanding.
“Coward, coward,” are other chants heard from the protesters against authorities. Sources say regime agents sought to arrest a woman who was saved by other protesters.
College students protesting outside the university were heard chanting, “Facing our nation, with our backs to the enemy”
Tehran University students also chanted and protested the death of a number of students who lost their lives in the bus accident. Plainclothes agents were seen attempting to prevent the rally from expanding. These units were also seen clashing with college students in an attempt aimed at preventing them from heading towards the city’s Enghelab (Revolution) Square.
Protests by Tehran students
The demonstrations are happening in protest to an incident that happened when a bus carrying students veered off a mountainous road and hit a concrete column. The crash killed 10 passengers and left 27 others injured. University officials initially blamed the crash on the driver having a heart attack, but a coroner later denied the claim.
The demonstrations, which started on Saturday, are demanding regime officials to be held to account for not doing enough to prevent such incidents from happening. Iran’s universities have aging fleets of busses in poor maintenance conditions. While the Iranian regime spends billions of dollars to export terrorism and support proxy groups in the Middle East, Iran’s universities and schools are lacking the most basic services and infrastructure.
Seeking to cover up their role in this horrific tragedy, university authorities ordered all the other university busses to be car-washed to then claim new busses have been provided for the campus. The students, aware of the deceptive nature of this regime, are exposing these measures and refusing to accept such lies.
Research and science university
Reports also indicate Iranian regime attorney general Mohammad Jafar Montazeri visited the campus on Sunday, calling for calm in fear of protests gaining new strength and dimensions. The angry students, however, were demanding answers and holding him accountable.
Tehranchi, head of the Azad University’s Science and Research branch, fled the scene with his car and even ran over a few protesting college students. Two were taken to a hospital to receive treatment for their injured feet.
Protesters are also demanding the resignation of Ali-Akbar Velayati, the chairman of the university's the board of trustees and a close advisor to Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Iranian regime.
