On Monday, February 23, on the third day of student protests, several universities across the country witnessed protest gatherings and memorial ceremonies. Reports indicate simultaneous demonstrations at Alzahra University, the University of Tehran, and Sharif University of Technology, along with an intensified security presence at some educational institutions.
The start of the gathering at Alzahra University
Students at Alzahra University, a women’s university in Tehran, began their protest gathering at 11 a.m. in front of the Faculty of Art, in accordance with a prior call. Participants chanted slogans including “Do not be afraid, do not be afraid, we are all together” and “We did not give our lives to compromise, nor to praise the murderous leader.”
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According to published reports, protests at the university continued throughout the day, with students chanting slogans such as “Freedom, freedom, freedom,” “We did not give our lives to compromise, nor to praise the murderous leader,” and “This year is the year of blood, Seyed Ali will be overthrown,” referring to regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Memorial ceremony at the University of Tehran
At the same time, students at the University of Tehran, one of the country’s most prominent universities, held a memorial ceremony at 11 a.m. for “martyr” Raha Bahloulipour, a student of Italian literature at the university. During the ceremony, slogans such as “Woman, Life, Freedom,” “Until the mullah is shrouded, this homeland will not become a homeland,” “Death to the dictator,” “For every person killed, a thousand stand behind them,” “This fallen flower has become a gift to the homeland,” and “All these years of crime, death to this ولایت” were chanted.
Additionally, at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Tehran, a ceremony was held to honor martyr Mohammadreza Moradali, a master’s student at the faculty. According to reports, a group of Basij forces—the paramilitary organization affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—attempted to appropriate the ceremony in their favor and portray him as a supporter of the regime. However, students prevented this move by chanting slogans such as “This fallen flower has become a gift to the homeland,” “Woman, Life, Freedom,” and “We swear by the blood of our comrades, we will stand until the end.”
Gathering at Sharif University of Technology
At Sharif University of Technology, one of Iran’s leading engineering institutions, students also gathered on Monday, February 23, in memory of the martyrs and in protest against the regime. According to reports, students chanted the slogan “This year is the year of blood, Seyed Ali [Khamenei] will be overthrown.”
Entry bans and a security atmosphere
Alongside these gatherings, reports have emerged of increased restrictions at the University of Tehran. According to a student-run channel, following the previous day’s protest, a number of students were unlawfully barred from entering the university. It is said that security personnel, holding a list of names, prevented certain students from entering—an action that student activists say contradicts the university’s disciplinary regulations.
There are no precise figures available regarding the number of students banned from entry. The University of Tehran’s Student Council has issued a statement asking students who have faced such restrictions to report their cases.
At the same time, multiple reports indicate the presence of security forces around the Faculty of Foreign Languages and the male dormitory complex of the University of Tehran. According to student sources, a large number of students gathered to attend the fortieth-day memorial ceremony for uprising martyr Raha Bahloulipour, and the atmosphere on campus has been described as heavily securitized.
The third day of student protests comes as demonstrations have spread to several universities, accompanied by reports of disciplinary and security pressures.
