ANTI-REGIME PROTESTS CONTINUED FOR THE SECOND NIGHT
TEHRAN 12 June (IPS) Iranian students, joined by ordinary people, demonstrated against the Mullahrchy for a second straight night, despite massive deployment of security and Basij forces around Tehran University and students dormitories, according to eyewitnesses.
"There were again chants of death to Khameneh'i, death to Hashemi Araqi (Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroodi, Head of the Judiciary, who is an Iraqi) and, death to Shah, Akbar Shah (referring to Ayatollah Ali Akbar hashemi Rafsanjani)", one female demonstrator told Iran Press Service, putting the number of the protesters at "thousands"."We chanted Ey Iran (O Iran, a very popular national song banned by the
ruling clerics) and also denounced Khatami’s betrayal, asking him to have
courage and resign", she said, adding that most of the protesters were the
same students as those who started the late Tuesday night demonstrations.
"There were many people that had come to see if the students would repeat last night’s demonstrations and they were rewarded. They called others on the phone, so the number of demonstrators increased by the hour", she said, adding that traffic had come to a halt all around the place, with many drivers leaving their cars in the middle of the streets to join the protesters and blaring horns.
"Peaceful at the beginning the demonstration got violent after plainclothes thugs arrived on their powerful motorcycles, charging the demonstrators in the Kargar Shomali Street with electric cable and chains. People responded by chasing them with stones that caused the smashing of many shops and building windows. When the Basij (volunteer militia) arrived, people opened their doors to the demonstrators and attacked the Basijis", she reported joyfully.
"Like last night, Police did not intervened and even some of the Pasdaran (Revolutionary Guards) that were present before the start of the demonstrations chased the thugs and befriended with the demonstrators", she said, asking her name not be disclosed.
According to the independent students news agency "ISNA", the students went back to their dormitories at about midnight local time (20.30 GMT), but "sporadic demonstrations" continued afterward, without major incident.
Tuesday evening demonstrations had started with students protesting against plans by the government to privatise some universities, changing the present system of admittance to universities from passing examination to payment of certain fees, a project that students say would favour the rich families and discriminate the poor ones.
Intelligence Minister Ali Yoonesi told journalists on Wednesday that some 80 demonstrators had been arrested last night, charged with giving "illegal slogans".
The Prague-based "Radio Farda", the 24-hours Persian service of Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty reported that Mr. Hasan Zare’ Zadeh Ardeshir, a member of the Office of Students United Front and the Democratic Front of Iran, led by Mr. Heshmatollah Tabarzadi had been arrested on the early hours of Wednesday by unidentified organs.
Mr. Hadi Kahhal Zadeh, a member of the Office for Consolidating Unity (OCU), the largest organisation of Iranian students told Radio Farda that the latest round of student’s protest is in response to "humiliations the regime inflict on the students, on the dissidents, on independent newspapers and journalists. We protest to the daily increase on prices of people’s basic foodstuff, on the restriction of freedom and against the appalling situation of human rights".
But Mr. Yoonesi blamed the unrests on the foreign-based Iranian media in the one hand and on the Americans, whom, he said, had created a 19-member "trouble-making head quarter.
US Senator Sam Brownback, a staunch backer of Iranian dissidents who fights for fundamental changes from theocracy to democracy by proposing a 50 million US Dollars for Iranian oppositions, including the media, voiced Wednesday his support for Tuesday night protests.
"Many people had come out after they heard the news of the demonstrations from radio and television in America", one demonstrator said, referring to the tens of independent radio and televisions stations operated by Iranian Diaspora mostly from Los Angeles, many of them supporting constitutional monarchy and Prince Reza Pahlavi, the 42 years-old son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza, dethroned by the Islamic revolution of 1979.
According to the Intelligence Minister, all the 19 troublemakers had been "recognised and arrested", but he did not name any and did not say when they had been arrested or whether they were among the 80 demonstrators arrested last night.
Analysts said this latest events and protest movement could continue in coming days and might be a preparation for the fourth anniversary of the 9 July 1999 students demonstrations that were savagely crushed by the authorities on ordered from Ayatollah Khameneh'i and backed by President Khatami.
"Our society now is like a room full of gas ready to ignite with a small spark", the British news agency Reuters quoted one parliamentarian who declined to be identified. ENDS STUDENTS UNREST 12603