Sit down protest: Iranian students
confront the parliamentary
speaker in Tehran
Posted on 06/22/2003 8:24:07 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Hundreds of students have been arrested in Iran, activists said yesterday, giving warning that the clerical regime's repression would trigger a violent backlash.
Student leaders carrying placards declaring "We want freedom for imprisoned students" staged a sit-in in front of parliament. They demanded the release of about 500 students they said have been arrested since last Thursday after anti-government protests around the country.
Sit down protest: Iranian students
confront the parliamentary
speaker in Tehran
"Even if they send us to prison and take us to solitary confinement there are others who have more daring slogans than us and they will confront the system with more violent methods," said Saeed Razavi Faqih, one of the student leaders.
The demonstrations - which were sparked on June 10 by plans to privatise higher education but spiralled into a wider political protest - have been hailed by the United States as a campaign for freedom. They have appeared to fizzle out recently after the arrests and clashes with pro-regime militants.
There have been unprecedented calls for the removal of the clerical regime, and accusations that reformists led by President Mohammad Khatami were powerless before the judiciary and security forces, which are controlled by unelected clerics.
The regime has denounced the protesters as "mercenaries" trying to overthrow the government at the instigation of America.
• Maryam Rajavi, the head of Iran's main exiled opposition movement, the People's Mujahideen, was detained in Paris yesterday. She is being investigated for allegedly conspiring with terrorists.
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