Hundreds of Iranian students protested President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [1]‘s presence at the University of Tehran on Monday, October 8. According to Al Jazeera [2], students chanted “Down with the dictator!” as he delivered a speech to mark the start of the academic year. Several bloggers published photos and comments.
Voices of Freedom
Jomhour reminds [3] us that last year, Amir Kabir University students protested Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presence there and burned his photos. The blogger adds that students at the University of Tehran chanted slogans for freedom and liberation of several jailed students. The blogger writes a message to Ahmadinejad:
What happened in Amir Kabir University, what you heard in Tehran University, are the voices of freedom that you do not hear, or you do not want to hear… after more than two years in power, you show that you have no idea about universities.
The blogger has also published a series of photos [4] from this event:
[5]
“Invitation card please!”
Avayeh Daneshgah (means ‘voice of university’) says [6] [Fa] that Ahmadinejad came to the university surrounded by many security agents. Hundreds of students chanted “Down with the dictator!” and raised the photos of three jailed student activists. The blogger says only students with an invitation card could attend Ahmadinejad's speech, and claims that pro-Islamist Basiji [7] students came from other universities to support Ahmadinejad.
Ghomar Asheghaneh says [8] [Fa] it is strange for Ahmadinejad to consider himself the president of all Iranians when he only accepts students bearing invitations. He writes:
During his speech, Ahmadinejad did not answer students’ questions from an open letter asking him such things as what happened to our oil money? Why is there gender discrimination in universities? And what about jailed students?
Mohmmad Ali Abtahi, former vice president and blogger, points out the irony [9] [Fa] that the president of Columbia University was allowed to insult Ahmadinejad in front of the whole world, but that Iranian students had no right to ask questions from Ahmadinejad in Tehran.
“Absolute Freedom”
Tribune Azad has published several photos [10] of the students’ protest and asks [10] [Fa] why someone [Ahmadinejad] who says there is absolute freedom in Iran, needs to order security agents to repress Iranian students. The blogger adds that even in the heart of Tehran, Ahmadinejad needs heavy security forces to move around.