Young Iranians protested again this Sunday despite a warning from the powerful Revolutionary Guard to stop demonstrating and a strong repression in universities, in mobilizations that are becoming more violent.

The protests took place throughout the country in numerous university centers in various cities, which were strongly repressed by the basiji – a volunteer militia loyal to the Islamic Republic – with the use of tear gas and beatings.

The protests are now in their seventh week, since the death on September 16 of the young Mahsa Amini after being arrested three days earlier by the Morale Police for wearing the Islamic veil incorrectly.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guard, General Hosein Salamí, warned the young people the day before that the “riots” had come to an end and not to go out into the streets so as not to ruin their future.

“Today is the end of the riots. Don’t go out on the streets anymore,” said the leader of the powerful elite force, whose mission is to safeguard the theocratic system of the Islamic Republic.

That same afternoon and evening, the repression in the universities intensified with the expulsion of students from faculties and student residences in Tehran, university sources confirmed to EFE.

In addition, there were numerous arrests of students, according to activists.

The mobilizations, in which the end of the Islamic Republic is called for, have been evolving since its inception, but one constant has remained: the universities have been its epicenter.

Although there have been attempts to control the faculties with inspections at the doors of the centers to limit who enters and the presence of riot police in the universities, the repression has been somewhat limited, with some exceptions.

“Until now, the students were able to protest in a climate of relative freedom,” a university source told EFE.

“This is over,” added this source, who preferred to remain anonymous.

Another source indicated that in its center the clashes have increased in tone and this Saturday glass was broken, there were tear gas and clashes.

“From one o’clock the confrontations begin” in the universities, said that source.

STRONG SHOCKS

Despite the warnings, the expulsions and the arrests, the students protested again this Sunday.

At Tehran’s Azad University there were strong clashes between students and Basijis, the volunteer militia loyal to the Islamic Republic, who used tear gas and even shots, according to videos shared on social networks by activists.

“Basiji, Revolutionary Guards, you are our Islamic State,” the students shouted.

At Kurdistan University in Sanandaj students shouted “this is not a protest. This is the beginning of a revolution”.

The protests over Amini’s death are mainly led by young people and women shouting “Woman, life, freedom!”, who launch slogans against the Government and burn veils, one of the symbols of the Islamic Republic and something unthinkable not long ago.

At least 108 people have been killed and 12,500 arrested in the protests, according to the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights.

In addition, the Iranian Justice has filed charges against 1,019 people in eight of the 31 provinces of the country for their participation in the protests and this Saturday the first trials began in Tehran.

PETITION FOR THE RELEASE OF JOURNALISTS

Among those detained are the two journalists who revealed Amini’s case, Nilufar Hamedi, who went to the hospital where Amini was admitted, and Elahe Mohammadi, who covered her funeral.

More than 300 Iranian journalists called for their release in a statement published in several newspapers on Sunday, a day after they were accused of working for the CIA by Iran’s intelligence agencies.

“Journalism is not a crime,” the Sazandegi newspaper said on its front page, accompanied by photos of Hamedi, Mohammadi and others of the 45 journalists detained for reporting on the protests.