How did thugs and hooligans enter universities and schools?
How did thugs and hooligans enter universities and schools? These are not Basijis; the Basijis are on this side. These are thugs and hooligans. This is part of the sentences of a frightened student from Isfahan University, which surely all of you have seen the video of. There are other images and videos from other universities, and they are not few. A famous example is the individual who pulled out his gun and fired it at the Islamic Azad University, North Tehran branch.
They say that before recent events, the attack on the university dormitory was considered the most atrocious assault by plainclothes on the sanctity of education and students in Iran’s history. But now, in recent weeks, dozens of university dormitory incidents have occurred, and dozens of students have been arrested and expelled from universities and dormitories with the cooperation of university security and the accompaniment of university presidents. This has also happened in some schools, although less news and documentation have been published compared to universities.
Plainclothes or thugs
The presence of plainclothes in protest gatherings to disrupt them has a long history, and in general, they were referred to as pressure groups. These pressure groups were more commonly known as Ansar-e Hezbollah or even Basij. However, it seems that since 2009, this title has found a new identity and dimensions, as other individuals besides ideological and faithful forces have joined this group: thugs and hooligans.
The same ones that Engineer Mir-Hossein Mousavi referred to in his last statement. He said, ‘What was the fate of that dishonorable commander who confessed and boasted about this crime, other than that his life was wasted in exile by another tyrant?’
Ahmad Zeidabadi, in a question to the principlist movement, referring to this statement by Mir-Hossein, asked what exactly was the story behind organizing and using thugs and hooligans against the post-2009 election protests, and under what authorization and law was it carried out? Hossein Hamdani, in his famous interview that has been cited many times, officially mentioned the use of thugs and hooligans to deal with popular protests.
He said, ‘We identified 5,000 people who were present in the riots but were not part of political parties or movements; instead, they were from criminals and thugs. We controlled them at their homes. On the day they called for gatherings, these people were controlled and not allowed to leave their homes. Later, I formed them into battalions. These three battalions later showed that if we want to train fighters, we must bring such individuals who are familiar with knives and machetes into action.’
University president or security agent
The entry of security forces or plainclothes, or the same thugs and hooligans, into educational centers, including schools and universities, certainly would not have been possible without the cooperation and green light from the management of universities and schools. If the presidents of universities and school managers cannot or do not want to protect the sanctity of students, like Ms. Oqab-Neshin, the principal of a girls’ art school in Karaj, they should at least resign.
You have surely seen the statements of some school managers and university presidents these days, who officially threaten students. A famous example was the school manager in Bandar Abbas who officially threatened students with being reported to security agencies and having their nails pulled.
The statements from students officially report the role of university management in threatening and restricting the university’s sanctity. Students at the University of Tehran have stated in their recent statement that university officials have threatened students that if they continue their demands, they will hand over the university’s surveillance camera footage to security agencies.
In the statement from students of Mazandaran University, it was also mentioned that a group of students at Mazandaran University condemned the vile actions of suppressive forces, which, with the cooperation of the university’s security chief, led to the arrest and torture of freedom-seeking students at Mazandaran University on three consecutive days, October 17, 18, and 19.
In the statement from a group of students at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, it is stated that intelligence agents, in collaboration with university officials, have created a security and intimidating atmosphere in the university through arrests and blind commitments. Students outside the university environment have been chased and arrested by masked thugs who introduce themselves as intelligence agents, wielding clubs and machetes, etc.
Psychologists’ protest statement
A group of mental health professionals and psychologists recently issued a statement protesting the illegal entry of law enforcement and attacks by unknown assailants on schools, violating the sanctity of children and adolescents in schools, beating and arresting students, using children and adolescents as military forces to suppress protests, illegal pressure on school staff to provide information and introduce students to security forces, and the illegal coercion of students to participate in mandatory cultural programs, citing credible news and reports published in the media.
The statement mentions that multiple reports have been published about the managers and officials of some schools who speak to students in a harsh and dangerous tone, and in some cases, even actively hand students over to security forces.
The case of the school manager in Bandar Abbas is one of these examples, and there are many other instances that cannot all be mentioned in this context. Therefore, it is expected that there will be a serious reconsideration of employing managers, supervisors, and teachers in schools who have cooperated in creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation for students and have engaged in abusive and threatening behavior towards them.
The place for a protesting teenager is neither a detention center nor a reform and rehabilitation center
The statement continues, ‘The place for a protesting teenager is neither a detention center nor a reform and rehabilitation center. Moreover, the use of labels such as antisocial, as proposed by the Minister of Education, requires specialized examination by psychologists and psychiatrists who have the authority and competence for psychological diagnosis and treatment. Such uses are not only incorrect and unscientific but also inflame and agitate society, doubling the fear and distrust of children, adolescents, and families towards the educational system. Punishment, pressure, fear, and labeling are in contrast with education and upbringing.’
The approach of the Ministry of Education towards students and adolescents in these difficult times is extremely concerning. It is expected that the education system will respect Article 27 of the Constitution and support the right of students to protest, providing a platform for hearing their protests and demands.
Additionally, citing Articles 12, 14, 15, 32, 37, 38, and 40 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Child Rights Law enacted in 2020, and the Educational Spaces Law enacted in 2021, and the Civil Code regarding the conditions for arresting persons under legal age, any violation of the law and violence against children and adolescents in schools and educational spaces is inappropriate and damaging.
Immediately release detained students
In this statement, they request the immediate release of detained students and their return to the safe embrace of their families, providing accurate statistics and information about all detained children and adolescents and those referred to reform and rehabilitation centers publicly, explaining their current status, and providing a transparent report on the number of students killed during protests and attacks by official law enforcement and unknown assailants.
The signatories of this statement also demand serious action to address the judicial handling of the illegal entry of law enforcement and unknown assailants into schools and the arrest of students, commitment to safeguarding the security of students, and serious prevention of the entry of law enforcement and security forces into schools or even around schools in all circumstances, and creating a safe and trustworthy environment for the relationship between students and teachers without fear and intimidation from political pursuits, and recognizing the need for students to have freedom of expression and the right to protest and creating a suitable platform for free dialogue.
Iran Gate has been reporting and analyzing this event from the first moments of Mahsa Amini’s death. You can search for related articles using this keyword.
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