Winter Marks New Protests; The Embers of Dissidence Continue to Burn

Iranian Students Disrupt Ahmadinejad Speech and Shout "Death to the Dictator!" (12/11/06)


Ahmadinejad Gets Lesson On Free Speech at Iranian University (12/12/06)


Students Cry Out for Freedom in Large Demonstration at Tehran University (12/7/06)

Tuesday, December 12, 2006:
Dozens of Iranian students burnt pictures of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and chanted "death to the dictator" as he gave a speech at a university in Tehran. Never has the hardline leader faced such open hostility at a public event, which came as Iran opened a conference questioning whether Nazi Germany murdered six million Jews. One student activist said the protest was against the "shameful" Holocaust conference and the "fact that many activists have not been allowed to attend university". The conference had "brought to our country Nazis and racists from around the world", he said.

Monday, December 11, 2006:
Iranian students disrupted a speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a prestigious Tehran university, setting fire to his picture and shouting "death to the dictator," media reports said. Ahmadinejad was giving a speech to students at the Amir Kabir University, the scene of a protest the day before by hundreds of students to denounce a crackdown on a reformist-led university association. "Some students chanted radical slogans and inflamed the atmosphere of the meeting," said the semi-official Fars news agency, which is close to Ahmadinejad. "A small number of students shouted 'death to the dictator' and smashed cameras of state television but they were confronted by a bigger group of students in the hall chanting: 'We support Ahmadinejad'," it said.

Thursday, December 07, 2006
"What do we want? Freedom!" That was one of the banners a large crowd waved on Wednesday at a demonstration at Tehran University. As many as 2,000 students turned out to demand personal freedom in the Islamic state, which has cracked down on political activity on campus this year in what some have called the Second Cultural Revolution. The theme of Wednesday's protest was Student Life is Alive. The police apparently made no effort to stop the demonstration, which ended peacefully. One banner, in Persian, read: "If I rise up and you rise up, everyone will rise up." Another read: "Our struggle is twofold: Fighting against internal oppression and external foreign threats." Photographs of Wednesday's demonstration were posted on Iranian websites and in the blogosphere.

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Skimming over the events of the last few weeks we are reassured that our students, our brothers and sisters, are very much alive and alert, and have once again risked everything to pour into the streets, threatened by persecution and torture, to keep alive the fire of freedom. Every protest, every person, every hand in the air and every banner, is a constant reminder that Iranians will not stop nor surrender until the chains of oppression and injustice are broken, and the light of a free Iran breaks through the dark cloud of malevolence that has taken its place. The students want the Islamic Republic to know, us to know, and most importantly, the rest of the world know, that the fire of freedom will continue to burn, and no matter how big or small it gets, there will always be an Iranian there to throw wood on the flame of revolution, and ensure that it's embers glow bright and hot enough for the whole world to see and feel.

It is always a joyous and ecstatic moment to see the soul and blood of Iran fight for the liberation of our people, culture, and country. The Iranian youth has demonstrated time and time again their opposition to oppression and unrelenting struggle for freedom and justice, but for such triumph and sacrifice not to be in vain, moments like these should above all else inspire us to ask ourselves a fundamental question: My brethern back home are doing their part, am I doing mine?

It is this question that should drive us, that should always drive us, all of us. It is this question that seals the fate of Iran, whatever that may be. I ask myself this question everyday, and whether I find my answer acceptable or not, I still can appreciate the fact that it is this question that drives me. I believe every Iranian, of all nations and residences, within Iran and out, any real Iranian, would ask themself this question. The only thing left to do then, when we have a world full of Iranians asking themselves the same question, is to unite, and answer that question together.

And in time, Ahura Mazda willing, I believe we will.