Student Day (Iran)


Student Day is the anniversary of the murder of three students of University of Tehran on December 7, 1953 by Iranian police in the Pahlavi era. Every year there are local demonstrations at many universities organised by students. The government also organises a national demonstration which sometimes clashes with student organised protests. The 2016 date is December 6.
It is commemorated by various sections of the student movement in Iran, including Leftist, Islamic, and Nationalist groups. Ahmad Ghandchi who belonged to Jebhe-e Melli and two other students, Shariat-Razavi and Bozorg-Nia who were claimed by Hezb-e Tudeh, were killed when the Shah's police forces opened fire on the students of University of Tehran going on strike in protest at the resumption of Iran's relations with Great Britain and Richard Nixon's visit to Iran, following the coup d'état of 1953. On the anniversary of Student Day in 2009, large student protests broke out in opposition to the 2009 Iranian Presidential election.
Following the December 7, 2009 Student Day protests in Iran, Heshmat Tabarzadi published an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, writing, "One thing is certain: Dec. 7 proved that the movement for a free, democratic Iran is robust and only growing in strength. If the government continues to opt for violence, there very well may be another revolution in Iran. One side has to step down. And that side is the government—-not the people."

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