Protest Gathering and Security Atmosphere on Enghelab Street in Tehran

Videos have been circulating on social media since early Monday, indicating a protest gathering on Enghelab Street near Tehran University. The protesters are chanting 'Incompetent officials, resign, resign' and 'Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, we are all together.' Some videos also mention a very security-heavy atmosphere as protesters are moving along Enghelab Street. Abdolazim Rezaei, the political-security deputy of Tehran's governorate, referred to the Enghelab protesters as 'opportunists' in an interview with ISNA, stating, 'This gathering is illegal, and the situation is under control.' He noted that 'in recent days, gatherings have been held inside Azad University due to a tragic incident affecting its students,' adding that 'these gatherings did not require permission from the governorate or the provincial government as they were held inside the university. However, today, some opportunists gathered in scattered groups in front of Tehran University.' He continued, 'These scattered gatherings were held without permission and were therefore illegal. It was evident that there were hands at work to create unrest, but the number of protesters was very small and has now ended.' In response to whether any protesters were arrested today, he said, 'No arrests have been reported.' He estimated the number of protesters on Enghelab Street on Monday to be '20-30 people,' which contradicts the images and videos visible on social media. Meanwhile, the Mehr News Agency reported that the police chief warned about some calls on social media for student gatherings in front of Tehran University, stating, 'Any gathering requires permission.' This news did not mention the identity of the callers, but some social media channels have seen calls regarding this. According to Mehr News, Hossein Ashtari, the police chief, stated on the sidelines of a public conference of Tehran's police commanders and managers regarding the gathering in front of Tehran University, 'Students should know that holding any gathering requires permission from the Ministry of Interior.' These remarks come as nearly four decades into the Islamic Republic's existence, no permits have been granted to any political or civil opposition parties or organizations wishing to hold peaceful gatherings or marches. This gathering follows recent protests at the Azad University of Tehran's Science and Research Unit, which have made headlines. The student protests at the Azad University were held for the second consecutive day on Sunday in response to the lack of accountability from university officials regarding a bus overturning incident that resulted in 10 deaths and 28 injuries. Initially, university officials attributed the bus overturning to the driver's heart attack, which was immediately rejected by Tehran's emergency officials, and such claims were referred to forensic medical expertise for confirmation. Reports later emerged that the bus, which had been added to the university's services 20 days prior to the incident, had not undergone a technical inspection. Recently, Ali Mohammad Naeini, an advisor to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, predicted that in 1998, 'two major upheavals' would occur in Iran. He stated, 'Next year we have parliamentary elections, which should be said to play a catalytic role in creating the ground for civil disobedience. On the other hand, (the enemies) have focused on economic pressures in the labor and occupational sectors.' His reference is to protests by various occupational groups, including educators and workers in Iran, who have repeatedly gathered and protested this year due to their poor living conditions. Calls for a protest gathering on Monday on Enghelab Street have been seen in some Telegram channels, and the Telegram messaging app and other social media have always been important communication channels among Iranian citizens. Hamidreza Ziaei-Pour, the director of the Media Studies and Planning Office of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, recently noted that there are 40 to 45 million Iranian users of the Telegram messaging app, stating, 'In fact, Iran's national media is Telegram.'