Students in Tehran are fed up with segregation between men and women – regime hits back

In Iran, students of the renowned Sharif University have broken with the mandatory gender segregation in a canteen.

In response, supporters of the Basij militias closed the entrance to the Tehran canteen, Iranian media reported unanimously. Videos circulated on social media showing young women and men sitting together at tables in the cafeteria.

Many women also took off their headscarves. Finally, the students would have removed the barricades. Videos, the authenticity of which could not be verified at first, showed a cheering crowd. The university board responded by closing the canteen and announced that they would report the students involved to a committee. You will now face penalties for violating gender segregation.

A teacher at the University of Tehran, meanwhile, posted a photo on Twitter showing her without a headscarf. “We will not return,” wrote Mona Khatami. University students confirmed the authenticity of the account.

A few weeks ago, security forces violently crushed protests on the campus of Sharif University. Meanwhile, police officers and militias closed off the campus. The mood has been tense ever since. The university board then suspended the face-to-face events for some time.

The systemic protests in Iran were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini. The vice squad arrested her for not complying with the mandatory rules for wearing a headscarf. The woman died in police custody on September 16. Since her death, thousands across the country have demonstrated against the government’s repressive course and Islamic rule system. (sda/dpa)