Iranian Students Respond to Recent Protests by Displaying the National Flag
WANA (Feb 24) – Following incidents and unrest at Iranian universities in recent days—including acts of disrespect toward the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran—a group of students from University of Tehran, Iran University of Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti University, and Alzahra University held peaceful gatherings and congregational prayers to express their support for national symbols and the ideals of the Islamic Revolution.
In recent days, several Iranian universities have witnessed rallies and protests, some of which were accompanied by violent actions and the desecration of national symbols.
These events emerged amid recent social and political tensions and the influence of domestic and foreign media. Certain small groups sought to exploit the situation, attempting to steer protests toward the rejection of shared values and collective symbols.
University administrations and education officials, however, have emphasized the importance of maintaining calm, continuing in-person classes, and ensuring campus security.
Administrators at Sharif University of Technology and the Iran University of Science and Technology informed students about cyberattacks and temporary restrictions on website access, urging them not to participate in illegal gatherings and to pursue any objections through legal and academic channels.
Against this backdrop, the broad and unified response by students condemning the desecration of Iran’s flag and affirming support for national and revolutionary values reflects the student body’s commitment to national identity and revolutionary ideals, as well as efforts to preserve social cohesion.
At the Iran University of Science and Technology, students held the Iranian flag and performed congregational prayers to protest insults to the country’s national symbol.
At the same time, students at the University of Tehran chanted slogans against monarchist groups and supporters of global hegemony, voicing their outrage at actions by individuals posing as students who had set the Iranian flag on fire.
Iranian Students Respond to Recent Protests by Displaying the National Flag. Social media / WANA News Agency
At Alzahra University, students gathered chanting slogans such as “As long as blood runs in our veins, Alzahra lives on,” demonstrating their support for revolutionary ideals and religious values.
Shahid Beheshti University also witnessed a similar gathering, where students condemned the desecration of the flag and reaffirmed their support for the ideals of the Islamic Revolution.
Despite attacks by some individuals who threw stones and sticks at the demonstrators, revolutionary students remained steadfast and continued their congregational prayers.
Meanwhile, Ali Shahrakhi, Director of Public Relations at Sharif University of Technology, announced that the university’s website had been targeted by cyberattacks, temporarily limiting access.
He added that the site is now accessible again to students and faculty and that in-person classes are continuing. The university’s president also released a video message urging students to avoid illegal gatherings and to help maintain security and calm on campus.
In response to the recent events, Iran’s government spokesperson, Mohajerani, emphasized that students have the right to protest, but reason, dialogue, and restraint must prevail, stressing that the Iranian flag is a red line for society.
Mohammad-Taqi Naqadali, a member of the Legal and Judicial Commission of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly, emphasized that burning a flag constitutes a criminal offense and warned that if what he described as the Minister of Science’s “appeasement of norm-breakers” continues, Parliament will place impeachment on its agenda.
He stated that the official policy of the system is to hear the voices of the people and students. However, he said that some protests at a number of universities have gone beyond reasonable boundaries, and actions such as setting a country’s flag on fire or assaulting other students are behaviors that carry criminal charges.
According to him, such actions should lead to the opening of judicial cases, whereas purely peaceful protests should not be met with confrontation.
According to experts and domestic media, the flag is first and foremost symbol of a shared land, culture, and history, and any assault on it—even in the context of protest—is unacceptable to society. Universities and academic forums can be spaces for criticism and dissent, but when protest turns into a rejection of shared symbols, it departs from reform and leads to the denial of common values.
These reactions underscore the Iranian student body’s adherence to national identity and revolutionary values, while attempts by a few limited groups to undermine this historic bond with national symbols were met with widespread student opposition.
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