Tensions at Ahvaz University Following Cooling System Failure

A protest by a group of female students at Shahid Chamran University in Ahvaz over the malfunctioning cooling system in dormitories escalated due to the intervention of university security. According to a report on Thursday (June 15) by the Tasnim news agency, the gathering began on Wednesday evening after the dormitory supervisor threatened the protesters with disciplinary action. One protesting student stated that following the breakdown of the air conditioning units due to 'pressure and heat,' students complained to the dorm supervisor, who 'began justifying as always.' The student added that the protesters then 'went to the control room where security and dorm staff locked the entrance and exit doors, preventing anyone from leaving.' According to this student, after the protests, Babak Mohammadian, the university's student affairs manager, shouted at the students to silence them. The student claimed that university officials were 'scaring the protesting students with security and disciplinary committee threats' to quiet them down. The website 'Iranian Student News Agency' also reported clashes between the protesting female students and university security personnel. It stated that security prevented students from leaving the dormitory with 'harshness.' According to this report, officials at Shahid Chamran University have been spending one million tomans daily to address the cooling system issue in the girls' dormitory. The website 'Iranian Student Newsletter' evaluated this action as 'the main achievement of the Shahid Chamran University officials to cover up the malfunctioning cooling system in the Hazrat Masoumeh dormitory.' This website also published images of the students' gathering, stating that they prevented the entry of ice shipments into the dormitory and demanded substantial attention to the situation. Milad Khodari, the secretary of the Islamic Students Association at Shahid Chamran University, said, 'The fact that students protest for such a reason should not be met with threats.' Khodari added, 'The fact that dormitory managers shout at the protesting women and promise years-long solutions to the cooling system issues is the height of irresponsibility.' Some news websites also reported, citing ISNA, that one protesting student stated that university officials threatened them with 'disciplinary action and summons.' The IRIB news agency also reported that Gholamhossein Khajeh, the president of Shahid Chamran University, promised the protesters that the ventilation system in the dormitory would be fixed after the current semester. Mr. Khajeh added that the necessary budget for this work has been secured and will be carried out immediately after the semester ends. He further mentioned, 'We did not anticipate facing these conditions and that the heat in Ahvaz would rise to this level, causing the current cooling system to fail to operate effectively.' The president of Shahid Chamran University also told 'Student News Agency' that 'it is planned to convert the cooling system of some dormitory blocks from chillers to air conditioners.' He added, 'I agree with the students, and it is our duty to provide them with at least basic amenities, but the reality is that nothing can be done until the end of exams.' Iranian universities typically witness numerous protests and gatherings each year in response to the conditions of dormitories and student dining services.