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Iran FM condemns crackdown on pro-Palestine protests in US colleges

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
25 Apr 2024 18:01

The Iranian Foreign Minister says "this repression is in line with the continuation of Washington's full-fledged support for the Israeli regime."

Georgia State Patrol officers detain a pro-Palestinian protester on the campus of Emory University, on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP/Mike Stewart)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expressed deep concerns over the police crackdown on pro-Palestine demonstrations in US universities.

Universities across the United States -- "Israel's" close ally and top provider of military assistance -- have been rocked by demonstrations over "Israel's" relentless aggression on Gaza, triggering mass arrests and shutting down classes at some of the most prestigious US institutions.

"The suppression and violent treatment of the American police and security forces against professors and students protesting the genocide and war crimes of the Israeli regime in various universities of the United States is deeply worrying," Amir-Abdollahian posted on X.

The suppression and violent treatment of the American police and security forces against professors and students protesting the genocide and war crimes of the Israeli regime in various universities of the United States is deeply worrying and disgusted by the public opinion of the…
— H.Amirabdollahian امیرعبداللهیان (@Amirabdolahian) April 25, 2024

He indicated that "this repression is in line with the continuation of Washington's full-fledged support for the Israeli regime and clearly shows the double standard policy and contradictory attitude of the American government towards freedom of expression."

While the #Biden administration reiterates its commitment to 'free speech,' recent protests unfolding across universities in the country show otherwise.

Police in the #US have been forcefully arresting peaceful protesters who are demonstrating on university campuses nationwide… pic.twitter.com/DfNsmNvvZx
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 25, 2024

"Following the genocide of tens of thousands of Palestinian women and children, especially after the discovery of mass graves of the sick and wounded and medical staff in the vicinity of Nasser Hospital in the Gaza Strip, the global wave of disgust towards the Israeli regime and its supporters cannot be kept hidden."

Gaza's Civil Defense agency confirmed that that at least 392 decomposing bodies have been uncovered so far from the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis following the Israeli occupation forces' withdrawal from the medical facility which they invaded at an earlier time.

Elsewhere, the top Iranian diplomat urged the Biden administration to "immediately stop supporting the Israeli regime's war crimes."

Dozens of students, alongside faculty staff and media personnel, were arrested on Wednesday while participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at various US college campuses.

At least 34 students, including a member of the media from a local news station, were arrested during protests at the University of Texas in Austin, and at least 50 more were detained by police at the University of Southern California (USC).

These arrests occurred amid a series of demonstrations at campuses across the US, which began last week after students at Columbia University in New York established encampments demanding the university divest from weapons manufacturers with ties to "Israel". These protests have resulted in numerous suspensions and the arrest of hundreds of students in New York and other cities.

On his part, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani published pictures of police violently cracking down on pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Texas, adding, "Scandal".

Another perspective of freedom of expression and respect for women's rights in America from the perspective of images; Suppression of the students of the University of Texas by the American police for protesting against the crimes of the Zionist regime with the support of the… pic.twitter.com/OnZh9GvbTb
— Nasser Kanaani (@IRIMFA_SPOX) April 25, 2024

The student protests also expanded to include several other countries, where security forces in both France and Ireland suppressed protests opposing the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and calling for a ceasefire.

This comes as the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced earlier on Thursday in its daily report that the number of Palestinians killed in the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Strip since October 7 has now reached 34,305, and those injured 77,293 as the war reaches its 202nd day.