Student Protests in Iranian Universities Ahead of December 7

Student gatherings in Iran continued on Tuesday, December 5, in protest against issues such as the treatment of student activists, gender discrimination, and the privatization of higher education at several universities, including Sharif University of Technology and Nishapur. The student protests, which began on Monday with gatherings and chants at universities in Tehran, Kharazmi, Shahid Beheshti, and Allameh Tabatabai, continued on Tuesday at several other universities, including Nishapur and Sharif University in Tehran. According to reports received by Radio Farda, these students are protesting against security measures taken against protesting students, gender discrimination, the quality of education, the privatization of higher education and university environments, government economic policies, and the poor quality of dormitories. Meanwhile, students at Qom University protested on Tuesday against the gender segregation of the "Student Day" ceremony at this university, chanting slogans and leaving the speech of Hamid Hajibabaei, a conservative member of parliament. On Monday, groups of students at several universities in Tehran gathered to protest against the "monetization of universities and the commodification of social life" in honor of Student Day on December 7. Reports indicate that students expressed their protests with slogans such as "Is this Ministry of Science's management about education or trade?", "With loans and debts, we have become slaves to the banks", "An aware student stands with workers", "The government's management is oppression against women", "Housing, work, and treatment, free education, are the demands of the working class", and "With threats and summons, we will not be silenced this time". Annually, various ceremonies are held at different universities in Iran on the eve of Student Day, December 7. In recent days, several Iranian media outlets have reported an "increase in restrictions" on political speeches at universities and "pressure" on student activists ahead of Student Day. Meanwhile, Mohammad Reza Aref, head of the Hope faction in parliament, wrote in a note that the ceremonies held at universities on Student Day have experienced a "significant decline in quality, accompanied by the emptiness of related ceremonies from the spirit of freedom-seeking, independence, justice-centeredness, and demand-making". He emphasized that the managers of the Ministry of Science and other institutions should not respond to student demands with "disciplinary or security measures". Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated on December 2 during a speech at Sistan and Baluchestan University that "students and universities today speak loudly and clearly". However, student organizations report that issues such as the "security atmosphere" in universities, the treatment of student activists, and depriving them of education continue. In previous years, 92 student organizations, 813 student publication activists, and 8,000 student activists have separately protested against the existence of a "climate of intimidation and threat" and a "security atmosphere" in universities, the cancellation of student organization programs, and "illegal and extralegal interventions" in their conduct.