International Desk: University students have gone on strike in support of the biggest protests since the 1979 revolution in Iran. Reuters reported that they held the strike on Tuesday despite strict warnings from the security forces and a bloody crackdown.
Anti-government protests have been ongoing in Iran since the death in police custody of Masha Amini, a young woman arrested seven weeks ago for not wearing a proper hijab. About 1,000 people have been charged for their involvement in the protests. Their trial will begin this week.
Iran’s human rights news agency HRANA reported sit-in strikes in several cities, including Tehran and Isfahan. Many have called for the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The strike is the most daring challenge to Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei in decades. The protests are intensifying day by day. This is increasing pressure on Iran’s rulers, who have blamed foreign enemies and their agents for the country’s volatile situation.
Omid Memarian, an Iran analyst at Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), said people are taking to the streets risking their lives. But they conquered fear with the hope of defeating the rulers.
People from all walks of life are protesting. Among them, students and women have been more vocal. They are protesting by removing hijab and burning it. 284 people have been killed by the security forces in the ongoing protests till last Monday. 46 of them are children.
