Following the heinous murder of Mahsa Amini by the thugs of the theocratic regime’s “morality police”, our people – especially and above all women – have strongly condemned and protested against this violent and inhumane conduct of the Islamic Republic [of Iran]. The protests have not remained confined to [the issue of] Mahsa Amini’s murder – and, within a short space of time, have quickly evolved to target the entire rule of the Islamist regime and its reactionary and anti-people nature, and has swept through 80 cities of the country. While these protests began under the name of Mahsa, the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” has become the de-facto mantra of the struggle of the Iranian people both at home and abroad against the ruling dictatorship.
The widespread popular protests in recent days are a clear culmination and display of more than 4 decades of people’s anger, disgust, and hatred at the ruling criminal regime, – [a regime] whose anti-people, reactionary, and plundering policies have meant corruption, unemployment, high prices, repression, and severe poverty and deprivation in society, especially for women and young people. That is why the passionate and active presence of young people and university students in the protests and strikes of the current popular movement, despite severe repression by the mercenaries of the “Supreme Religious Leader”, is expanding further and opening up new arenas of struggle.
In recent days, students at more than 80 universities of the country boycotted their classes in protest against the regime’s crackdown, including at: the University of Tehran, Shahid Beheshti University, Sharif University of Technology, Shiraz University of Art, Shahid Madani University of Azerbaijan, Abadan Oil University, Isfahan University, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University of Hamadan, Chamran University of Ahvaz, University of Science and Technology, Polytechnic University, Tabriz University, University of Gilan, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, and Qazvin International University. These protests were met with severe and brutal attacks by regime thugs and a large number of students were arrested. According to the latest news, gunfire was reported at Shiraz University last night [29 September].
Following the regime’s raids in the country’s universities and the arrest of scores of university student activists, students at several universities issued statements, protesting the regime’s brutal conduct and demanding the release of imprisoned students. The students announced that they will refrain from attending university classes, whether in person or virtually, until the unconditional release of detained students. Following this massive student strike, a number of university professors have also supported their courageous move.
In the context of the continued struggle and popular protests against the ruling dictatorship, despite their violent and bloody repression by the security apparatus of the criminal and reactionary regime in Iran, the Tudeh Party of Iran, while supporting the righteous strikes and protests of university students, deems their interconnectedness with other popular protests and strikes to be an [absolute] necessity if they are to ultimately overcome the barrier of the ruling theocratic dictatorship. [The achievement of this necessary pre-condition] will strengthen and empower the people’s struggle against the ruling regime. Over the past century, Iranian universities have always been the strongholds of defending freedom, democracy, social justice, and national sovereignty.
The current rapid changes and attacks by the ruling theocratic regime on the people have shown that the corrupt and reactionary regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the main barrier to progress and our homeland’s achievement of freedom, independence, and social justice. We reiterate [our position from previous statements] that in the current situation which, in more than 80 cities, has witnessed the arising of tens of thousands of young people, women and girls, as well as male and female students, in the battle against the regime in Iran – resulting in the losses of dozens of lives and the injuring of hundreds more – the presence of workers and working people, who have themselves been engaged in a decisive struggle with the Islamic Republic regime in recent years, is not yet apparent. Joining the working class and working people in this struggle, in the effort to cripple the regime’s governmental and economic institutions – and thus shift the balance of power in favour of the mass protest movement – would play a key role [in bringing about material change].
- By moving towards organising a general strike and coordinating popular protests about common demands, the ruling dictatorial, oppressive, and corrupt regime and its repressive organs can be brought to their knees!
- A passionate salute to the women, youth, and students of the country [Iran], who have so bravely stood up to the theocratic regime’s repressive apparatus and challenged the ruling dictatorship!
- We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained in recent events as well as all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners!
The Tudeh Party of Iran
30 September 2022