In Defence of Marxism

Over the past few months the Islamic regime has steadily stepped up the level of censorship and repression in Iranian society. It has smashed several strikes, broken up many demonstrations and protests, banned a number of newspapers, blocked hundreds of websites and weblogs, confiscated satellite dishes and generally intensified the climate of fear and intimidation.

During this period the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) has particularly targeted the leaders and well-known activists of the labour, student and national minorities' movements in its attempts to crush struggles and silence criticism. In October new court proceedings were started against the Saghez labour activists, resulting in sentences of several years for a number of them - all because they tried to organise a May Day rally! Then on 19 November, Mansour Ossanlou, the leader of the Vahed Bus Company Trade Union, was brutally re-arrested by plain-clothed agents who even shot a bullet over the head of his deputy, Ebrahim Madadi.

In addition, at least two students died in prison while on hunger strike and all attempts to carry out autopsies have been blocked by the authorities. In the case of Akbar Mohammadi, who had been in prison since the July 1999 demonstrations, his body was even buried at night to hide the regime's culpability in his death. The IRI has also tried to 'teach a lesson' to the whole students' movement by banning many students from post-graduate studies because of their political activities while undergraduates.

Yet, despite all the repressive measures in various spheres of social life, during this period the most brutal treatment has been dealt against the national minorities, particularly Arab activists in the south-western Khuzestan province (bordering Iraq). Already two people have been hanged and a further ten activists were put through bogus trials and sentenced to death. Obviously the IRI's main purpose in taking these repressive steps has been to create and perpetuate a climate of fear and intimidation.

Student Day at Tehran University

It was within this context that student activists began discussing the best way to organise and prepare for 16 Azar (6 December), Student Day in Iran since 1953. As part of a series of demonstrations in a number of cities, including Tabriz in Azerbaijan province, the students of Tehran University and their supporters gathered to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of Student Day.

At noon on 6 December, a large crowd gathered outside Tehran University and was prevented from entering the grounds by the security forces and the university's security personnel. While singing 'O Iran', 'High-school mate' and a Kurdish song, they were pushed towards the western gate of Tehran University, where after breaking the gate, they entered the university.

A young woman activist sent us this report on the events inside the campus: "To begin with we, the socialists, were the only ones. Then slowly everyone gathered: the liberals and the members of Office for Consolidating Unity [originally a pro-regime student body that now has various factions]. Then we shouted some slogans and began moving towards the university gate. As most of the students were behind the gate we tried to break the gate ... Once we broke the gate some 300 people [security agents] attacked us ... We went around the university until other students could join the protest. Then the speeches started. One of the liberals, Saeed Habibi, began speaking and was followed by others including Ebrahim Yazdi. [...] They were talking nonsense. We began jeering, the liberals started shouting slogans and we also chanted slogans, then the liberals suddenly attacked us and there were some light clashes. [...] The liberals were trying very hard to gain control of everything, but we were more cunning and ... took over. One of them tried to shout a slogan about a referendum but we raised our voices and chanted 'Students, workers, unity, unity' and similar slogans. Then there was a scuffle and Saeed Habibi began speaking again and tried to calm things by saying "Comrades, I'm also a socialist" and so on."

The steps taken by activists to neutralise the state and university security forces, as well as the so-called 'liberals', are a clear testament to the level of organisation and political consciousness reached by the students. The slogans on the many well prepared red placards on display at the Tehran University Technical College included:

- Socialism or barbarism
- Freedom, equality
- Zarafshan and Ossanlou must be freed
- Universities are not barracks
- Sexual discrimination must be abolished
- The people want bread not bombs
- We condemn any foreign intervention in the destiny of the Iranian people
- Three suicides, two murders and a death - that is our university

Other slogans that students were shouting while on the grounds of the University included:
- Incompetent minister, resign, resign
- Down with despotism
- Workers, students, unity, unity
- Free political prisoners.

16 Azar (6 December): a day remembrance and struggle

Although many people throughout the world are familiar with the events of July 1999, when the Iranian regime's 'conservative' and 'reformist' factions united to bludgeon the student uprisings in Tehran, Tabriz and a few other cities, few know that the history of students' struggles in Iran stretches over half a century.

The demonstration at Tehran University was organised to commemorate the student protests against Richard Nixon's visit on 6 December 1953 (16 Azar 1332). Nixon, then the US vice president, was visiting Tehran less than four months after a CIA coup that had overthrown Dr Mohammad Mossadegh and brought the Shah back to power. This was at the height of the Cold War and the August 1953 coup d'etat in Iran was later used as a blueprint for many other CIA coups throughout the world - beginning with the overthrow of Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala just 10 months later.

At a time when anti-American feelings were running high and the Shah had not totally crushed all opposition, a visit by Nixon, one of McCarthy's henchmen, to one of the USSR's main southern neighbours was clearly calculated to show full US support for the monarchist regime. When on 6 December Tehran University students demonstrated against Nixon's presence in Iran the Shah's 'Immortal Guard' entered the university compound and brutally attacked them. They shot dead three of the students. Since then every year this date has been commemorated as a symbol of Iranian students' struggle against dictatorship and for social justice.

Wednesday's demonstration, particularly with slogans like 'Workers, students, unity, unity' and 'Socialism or barbarism?', clearly shows that the radical and revolutionary traditions of the Iranian students' movement are still alive. In particular, this year, following many months of ever escalating repression and censorship, when many labour and other activists feel threatened and are avoiding confrontations with the regime, once again the students' self-less action has broken the climate of fear and intimidation reigning over the whole of society. This is bound to open up many opportunities for fresh and ever bolder struggles by students, workers, women and the national minorities.

7 December 2006