Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, Spokesman for the Iranian Government: Permission for Demonstrations Inside Universities is Up to University Officials

Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, the spokesman for the Iranian government, stated that permission for demonstrations inside universities is the responsibility of university officials. The government announced that it would not allow any demonstrations outside university premises to commemorate the anniversary of July 9, which marks the clashes between students and police that resulted in the death of a student. This announcement comes at a time when there has been a wave of anti-government protests in Tehran and other cities in Iran over the past ten days. Following the government's crackdown and police actions, the scale of protests has significantly decreased, but informed observers say that the anniversary of July 9 could reignite new demonstrations. Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell stated that the U.S. government supports the recent protests against the Iranian clerics. He also emphasized that people should be free to express their opinions and speak freely, and he reiterated that the U.S. does not intend to create problems in its support for the protests.