A group of students from the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences held a protest and justice-seeking rally on Monday, January 26, in response to what they described as “obstruction and interference by university authorities in the organization of a mourning ceremony for Ayda Heydari.”
The gathering took place in an atmosphere marked by grief and anger. Emphasizing their right to memorialization and accountability, students protested the university administration’s efforts to prevent a commemorative ceremony for the late Ayda Heydari. During the rally, following the appearance of Pourgharib, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, protesting students left the sit-in area, effectively halting his speech, an act widely interpreted as a deliberate protest against the university’s restrictive policies.
The significant presence of justice-seeking students from both the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences underscored the persistence of dissent within academic spaces, as well as student solidarity in mourning the loss of their fellow student and in commemorating those who have lost their lives. Participants chanted slogans to voice their opposition to the current situation and to the suppression of student demands.
Chants heard during the protest included “Death or Freedom,” “Freedom, Freedom, Freedom,” “Death to the Dictator,” and “This fallen flower is a gift to the homeland,” slogans that reflect the close link between student-led calls for justice and broader political and protest movements across Iranian society.
