Tuesday
Dec082009
Iran's 16 Azar: Eyewitness Summaries from Tehran
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 7:02
This in at 0215 GMT (0545 in Iran) from an EA source who was talking with contacts in Iran throughout 16 Azar:
Around midnight [at the start of 16 Azar, 7 December], a large contingency of the government’s forces were stationed in different areas, especially in central Tehran and particularly in the vicinity of different universities and colleges.
The protest areas have seen the strong presence of government forces from the early morning hours.The police and plain-clothes officers were concentrated around the Fatemi, Karagar and Enghelab streets:
The police are scattered from Ferdowsi Square to Enghelab Square, especially surrounding Tehran University, and from Tohid intersection to Sharif University. These groups are highly equipped with various weapons and have given the Enghelab and Azadi streets a military base-like appearance. This is why though a high number of people was expected not that many came.
Some people went toward Sharrif University but because of the high number of anti riot police that had surrounded the university they left the place. You could see high number of anti riot police in the city.
Tehran University is completely surrounded, with over 1,000 (and growing) officers of the anti-riot police and revolutionary guards stationed there. They have closed down the pedestrian walkways across Tehran University with metal fences to prevent movements in and out of the university. They initially placed three buses in front of the university’s entrance in order to block people's view of inside the campus, and later replaced the buses with a long and extended white scroll containing writings related to Eid-e Ghadir [this week's ceremony of the first Imam, Imam Ali]. Their objective in placing this scroll is to block the public’s view of the students' protests inside the university.
Students were locked inside the universities and around Amir-Kabir University. There have been clashes between people and the security guards,they had tried to get rid of people. There were a high number of security guards around all the universities whom did not allow any one to enter nor exit the university gates. Consequently students did ask people to join them.
Mobile phones are out of service and impossible to reach around the vicinity of Tehran University.
The number of students was increasing every minute. There were a great number of plainclothes officers present at this rally. Through raising their hands and giving the victory sign, and by presenting the symbols of the green movement, the students are circulating in and around the university.
The chants are "Down with the Demagogues", "Mahmoud the traitor, You have destroyed us and the soil of this country, You have killed the country's youth, God is Great, God is Great…"
There are clashes between students and guards standing outside of the university at Vali-Asr. Some photographers and cameraman are taking pictures and filming in order to identify the students. According to the news, there are buses parked at the Somaie ST. to transfer the arrested students.
There is an organized group of police moving towards the Vali-asr gate. This group includes plain-clothes officers and a small number of university Basij and has clashed with green students.
More than 50 police forces have surrounded uni preventing parking cars near uni walls. The main gate to Tehran University has been closed off. Students can use other entrances only by presenting their Tehran University ID.
From the other side at University of Tehran, police had started to hit people and try to stop them from gathering at one place. While they were waiting to find out where they have to go, the Police attacked people again and as a result they started to run and they got on a bus. Meanwhile the guards saw my friend who was recording on his self phone got on the bus and so they tried to stop the bus but my friend and his companions managed to get away. On their way they shouted slogans from the bus. As they were stuck in traffic, one of the guards threw two tear gas tins inside the bus. One hit the back of my friend’s neck, another one hit someone's arm inside the bus. They tried to pull the injured passenger out and force the driver to stop the bus but once again the driver ignored them and carry on driving. A few station away from their destination, my friend and his companions had to get off due to the amount of gas inside the bus.
There are clashes between students and guards standing outside of the university at Vali-Asr. Some photographers and cameraman are taking pictures and filming in order to identify the students. According to the news, there are buses parked at the Somaie Park ST. to transfer the arrested students.
After closing down some of the streets in central Tehran, anti-riot police have attempted to fire tear gas towards the demonstrators, turning the area into a site of clashes between police and protestors
The areas surrounding the universities are heavily concentrated by security forces, and protesters are being prevented from gathering in large groups. There are reports of clashes between protesters and security forces in Enqelab Square. The atmosphere around Tehran University is extremely volatile.
In another place a men inside his car with his wife and two kids waiting behind the traffic light sticks his hand out showing a victory sign. He is dragged out of his car by the guards and bitten while his wife screaming, running after her husband who managed to save him from the guards.
Also in Shahid Beheshti University in the north of Tehran Dr ( Hamid Reza) Jalaeipour gave a speech for student day. At first, students are chanting "Imprisoned students must be released". He says "I'm a professor of sociology, and in sociology it is known that prisons are meant for people who are harming (insulting) the society, such as murders. Prisons are not the place to keep students and elites." Students then applauded him. [Editor's Note: The speech is also recorded on YouTube.]
In Amir-Kabir University an open forum event was held on the Student Movement and Democracy. In which Majid Tavakoli one of the student leaders said: "We are here to declare our outcry at all of society’s despots and dictators, with Khamenei as their leader." [Editor's Note: Tavakoli was later arrested. We'll have a separate entry on this within the hour.]
Around midnight [at the start of 16 Azar, 7 December], a large contingency of the government’s forces were stationed in different areas, especially in central Tehran and particularly in the vicinity of different universities and colleges.The protest areas have seen the strong presence of government forces from the early morning hours.The police and plain-clothes officers were concentrated around the Fatemi, Karagar and Enghelab streets:
The police are scattered from Ferdowsi Square to Enghelab Square, especially surrounding Tehran University, and from Tohid intersection to Sharif University. These groups are highly equipped with various weapons and have given the Enghelab and Azadi streets a military base-like appearance. This is why though a high number of people was expected not that many came.
Some people went toward Sharrif University but because of the high number of anti riot police that had surrounded the university they left the place. You could see high number of anti riot police in the city.
Tehran University is completely surrounded, with over 1,000 (and growing) officers of the anti-riot police and revolutionary guards stationed there. They have closed down the pedestrian walkways across Tehran University with metal fences to prevent movements in and out of the university. They initially placed three buses in front of the university’s entrance in order to block people's view of inside the campus, and later replaced the buses with a long and extended white scroll containing writings related to Eid-e Ghadir [this week's ceremony of the first Imam, Imam Ali]. Their objective in placing this scroll is to block the public’s view of the students' protests inside the university.
Students were locked inside the universities and around Amir-Kabir University. There have been clashes between people and the security guards,they had tried to get rid of people. There were a high number of security guards around all the universities whom did not allow any one to enter nor exit the university gates. Consequently students did ask people to join them.
Mobile phones are out of service and impossible to reach around the vicinity of Tehran University.
The number of students was increasing every minute. There were a great number of plainclothes officers present at this rally. Through raising their hands and giving the victory sign, and by presenting the symbols of the green movement, the students are circulating in and around the university.
The chants are "Down with the Demagogues", "Mahmoud the traitor, You have destroyed us and the soil of this country, You have killed the country's youth, God is Great, God is Great…"
There are clashes between students and guards standing outside of the university at Vali-Asr. Some photographers and cameraman are taking pictures and filming in order to identify the students. According to the news, there are buses parked at the Somaie ST. to transfer the arrested students.
There is an organized group of police moving towards the Vali-asr gate. This group includes plain-clothes officers and a small number of university Basij and has clashed with green students.
More than 50 police forces have surrounded uni preventing parking cars near uni walls. The main gate to Tehran University has been closed off. Students can use other entrances only by presenting their Tehran University ID.
From the other side at University of Tehran, police had started to hit people and try to stop them from gathering at one place. While they were waiting to find out where they have to go, the Police attacked people again and as a result they started to run and they got on a bus. Meanwhile the guards saw my friend who was recording on his self phone got on the bus and so they tried to stop the bus but my friend and his companions managed to get away. On their way they shouted slogans from the bus. As they were stuck in traffic, one of the guards threw two tear gas tins inside the bus. One hit the back of my friend’s neck, another one hit someone's arm inside the bus. They tried to pull the injured passenger out and force the driver to stop the bus but once again the driver ignored them and carry on driving. A few station away from their destination, my friend and his companions had to get off due to the amount of gas inside the bus.
There are clashes between students and guards standing outside of the university at Vali-Asr. Some photographers and cameraman are taking pictures and filming in order to identify the students. According to the news, there are buses parked at the Somaie Park ST. to transfer the arrested students.
After closing down some of the streets in central Tehran, anti-riot police have attempted to fire tear gas towards the demonstrators, turning the area into a site of clashes between police and protestors
The areas surrounding the universities are heavily concentrated by security forces, and protesters are being prevented from gathering in large groups. There are reports of clashes between protesters and security forces in Enqelab Square. The atmosphere around Tehran University is extremely volatile.
In another place a men inside his car with his wife and two kids waiting behind the traffic light sticks his hand out showing a victory sign. He is dragged out of his car by the guards and bitten while his wife screaming, running after her husband who managed to save him from the guards.
Also in Shahid Beheshti University in the north of Tehran Dr ( Hamid Reza) Jalaeipour gave a speech for student day. At first, students are chanting "Imprisoned students must be released". He says "I'm a professor of sociology, and in sociology it is known that prisons are meant for people who are harming (insulting) the society, such as murders. Prisons are not the place to keep students and elites." Students then applauded him. [Editor's Note: The speech is also recorded on YouTube.]
In Amir-Kabir University an open forum event was held on the Student Movement and Democracy. In which Majid Tavakoli one of the student leaders said: "We are here to declare our outcry at all of society’s despots and dictators, with Khamenei as their leader." [Editor's Note: Tavakoli was later arrested. We'll have a separate entry on this within the hour.]
Reader Comments (1)
Thanks for the great report!