Iran: Protests by university students in different cities
Yesterday on Student Day in Iran, students at Free University of Qazvin staged a demonstration in ’Ghalam’ and ’Sa’at’ squares while chanting ’Death to the dictator’ and ’Allahu Akbar’. The demonstration was supported and welcomed by local residents, especially the employees of government offices near the university. The agents of the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) attacked the students in order to arrest some of them, but they were faced with the students’ protest and slogans.
The students at Esfahan University of Technology clashed with suppressive forces yesterday. A female student called Mina Saadat was arrested. Bassij agents who have occupied the university campus since Saturday checked the students’ IDs and questioned them.
Also yesterday in western city of Yasouj, 20 students were arrested for defending three female students who had been insulted by the regime’s agents under the pretext of mal-veiling. On December 5, the dormitory of female students in Golestan province was set on fire. The regime accused the students with burning the Koran.
Further, on the eve of Student Day and simultaneous with Ahmadinejad’s trip to Arak, people of Arak staged a protest. Protesters continued their gathering in Malek Street till late in the evening. The regime’s agents attacked protesters with batons. People broke the shield of a police vehicle by hurling stones. The agents attacked anyone taking photos or films.
A 16 year old boy killed and dumped on the street in Ottawa
Yazdan Ghiasvand Ghiasi, 16 year old student of the Notre Dame Catholic High School was shot killed on Monday Dec.8, 2010 and his body was dumped on Booth St. at 10:30am in Ottawa. Police said the shooting was not gang related even though he Ghiasi was known to the 3 men arrested. The Ottawa police have arrested 3 young men ages 18, 19 and 20 in connection to Ghiasi's death. Friends and family of Yazdan say that he was involved in sport specially tae kwon do. He wanted to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. According to the local CBC news, Ghiasi's family fled Iran, 18 years ago. A witness said to police that he saw a young man getting into a car. Shortly after he heard a "pop, pop" he saw the door opened and Yazdan was tossed outside. He tried to stop the car but it sped off.
Ghiasi's family are going to bury their son tomorrow (Thursday) at the Beechwood cemetery before noon. According to a Facebook page created for Yazdan, there's going to be a memorial Thursday night on Booth St. from 7:30-10:30pm.
Police charged Abdulhamid Wehbe, 20, with second-degree murder. Khaled Wehbe, 19, and Zakaria Dourhnou, 18, were each charged with being an accessory after the fact.
