Iran Feature: The Week in Civil Society --- From Repression 1999 to Repression 2012 (Arseh Sevom)

The 18 Tir Protests, 199918 Tir Anniversary

Sunday was the anniversary of the 1999 crackdown on demonstrations of Iranian students, described on page 10 of our report "Attack on Civil Society".

Many consider the 1999 demonstrations as a turning point that paved the way for later developments within non-violent movements in Iran. The events of that time also led directly to the strategies used to control later protests:

A strengthened and more professional Basij militia, under the control of the IRGC and acting on their behalf, answered the rise of the student movement with a renewed mission to protect the nation against the perceived domestic threat posed by liberalizing influences.

The opposition site Kalemeh offers an illustrated review of “18 Tir” events.

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