The national occasion was named after university students took over the US embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, later referred to as the “Den of Espionage.” The students took the action to protest Washington’s acceptance of Mohammad-Reza Shah, whose monarchy had been toppled in February that year by the Iranian people’s revolution led by Imam Khomeini.
Since then, Student Day has been marked annually as an occasion to renew Iranians’ rejection of the US-led global imperialism.
This year, the rallies are being held in the capital, Tehran, and other cities across the country on Monday, with people from all walks of life taking part.
In Tehran, the demonstrations began early in the day at the iconic Palestine Square in the city center, with demonstrators marching toward the former US Den of Espionage. State and military officials also joined the march. Around 4,500 journalists are covering the rallies.
This year’s demonstrations are particularly significant as they follow the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran in the summer, during which nuclear facilities were bombed. Over the course of the 12-day war, which was launched by Israel on June 13, the regime bombed residential areas and Iran’s infrastructure, killing more than 1,000 people. The Israeli regime also assassinated several top Iranian military commanders and scientists.
