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Students join opposition to Iranian violence

Written by Andrew Vaughan, Contributor to The Shorthorn

Tuesday, 23 June 2009 07:57 PM

A protestor, who wishes not to be identified, holds up an image of Neda after she was shot dead at a protest Saturday in Tehran. Hundreds gathered Tuesday at Dallas City Hall to protest the violence following the Iranian elections. (The Shorthorn: Jacob Adkisson)

Some Iranian students joined the international argument about President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election, forming their own protests of what they call cheating.

UTA students attended or formed three events in the last week in reaction to the June 12 Iranian election and police violence against protestors overseas. Students joined hundreds in front of Dallas City Hall, honored the dead with an on-campus candlelight vigil and held a quiet demonstration in front of the Central Library. Some have family members in Iran and most support Mir Hossein Moussavi, calling re-elected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a liar and cheat.

In front of Dallas City Hall on Tuesday about 500 protestors, including UTA students, chanted against Ahmadinejad’s re-election. The protestors called for an end to the violence in Iran and a run-off election. Among the many signs and posters were pictures of the protests and violence in Iran, the most prominent being of an Iranian girl dying from a gunshot wound to her chest. This woman, Neda Agha Soltan, was killed by a militiaman and has become a symbol to protesters overseas.

At Friday night’s candlelight vigil people gathered to honor victims in Iranian protests near the UTA “A” between Nedderman Drive and Mitchell Street. It occurred the same day that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced his disapproval of the protests and violence from the Iranian police intensified.

A participant cries at a candlelight vigil Friday night on Cooper Street for Iranian students killed in police raids at Tehran University. (The Shorthorn: Stephanie Goddard)

“The government’s militants not only strike youth, but they also strike children, women and seniors,” bioengineering graduate student Aydin Farajidavar said. “This is an obvious cheat in election. I have even heard that [a few people] who voted for Ahmadinejad are ashamed of their vote.”

Iranian UTA student Ali Tayebi said Ahmadinejad cheated.

“If this was a real election, why is the government responding like this?” Tayebi said. “Violence has come to students in universities. The Internet has been blocked. The Iranian citizen faces violence from the government’s regime. Why this instead of a run-off election?”

At a demonstration in front of the Cental Library on June 15, Tayebi said he would like for the protests in Iran to end quickly but was unsure of what would happen next.

Siamak Ardekani, civil and environmental engineering professor, said the protests paralyzing Iran are expensive.

“The Iranian government cares a lot about what the world thinks of it. Spreading awareness is the best way to end this quickly.” Ardekani said. “There should at least be a run-off election. That would finally put an end to all of this violence and bloodshed.”

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Last Updated ( Thursday, 20 August 2009 10:34 AM )

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