"Our classrooms are empty because the graveyards are full, said Hossein*, 21, a student at the University of Tehran. It's for them our friends, classmates and compatriots, who were gunned down in front of our eyes, that we decided to boycott the classes. Now in their third day, protests have spread to universities across the capital and the north-eastern city of Mashhad, with videos showing students chanting anti-regime slogans and clashes breaking out between protesters and pro-regime Basij forces."
"They called their spilled blood foreign-backed, Hossein added, alluding to the regime's labelling of dissenters as agents of foreign powers. But we know the regime can no longer kill students on campus and call us terrorists We are not afraid of losing our lives. We all are willing to put our lives on the line so at least the next generations of this country will live in freedom and peace."
Students across Tehran and Mashhad resumed protests as the new academic term began, chanting anti-government slogans despite heavy security and plainclothes officers outside university gates. Many students boycotted classes to honor friends, classmates and compatriots who were killed during a brutal January crackdown. Videos and reports show clashes between protesters and pro-regime Basij forces on campus. Protesters reject regime claims that dissenters are foreign-backed and state their readiness to risk their lives so future generations can live in freedom and peace. Human rights groups report thousands killed and tens of thousands arrested nationwide, including numerous students.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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