The students, who were from Shahr-e Kord Open University, had with them a large white banner reading, Mr. Qalibaf, they beat us up for asking a question.
Qalibaf, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps air force, stepped down as the chief of the paramilitary police force, the State Security Forces, to run in the upcoming elections.
The Revolutionary Guards general was initially seen by some senior hard-line politicians as a more hopeful candidate than the other three Revolutionary Guards figures in the race. But his efforts to appeal to young voters by showing off his flying skills, shaving off his beard and donning trendy suits foundered when rivals publicised a letter he and other Revolutionary Guards commanders wrote to President Mohammad Khatami in July 1999, urging him to use every available means to put down a nationwide protest movement led by pro-democracy students.
In his speech in Shahr-e Kord, Qalibaf called students trouble-makers and did not give them a chance to respond.
Protesters were later attacked by plainclothes security forces after leaving the meeting. Afterwards, they gathered outside the governors office and chanted anti-government slogans.
