PSU students join in demonstrations
By Anne Danahy
- adanahy@centredaily.comSTATE COLLEGE — Waving signs and chanting, "Where is my vote," Iranian students at Penn State joined protesters in their home country Monday by demonstrating against the results of Friday's election.
CDT/Nabil K. Mark
A protest was held Monday, June 15, 2009 in front of the Allen Street gates in downtown State College about the recent Iranian election. CDT/Nabil K. Mark
The noon rally at the Allen Street Gates drew about 45 students who questioned the outcome of the election, which gave an overwhelming victory to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Since then, supporters of challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi have been staging protests.
On Monday, Iranian graduate students dressed in green to support Mousavi stood at the entrance to the University Park campus, handing out fliers and getting the occasional car to honk a horn in support.
“We really hope we can change the result of this election,” said one of the protesters.
She and others said they have family in Iran, where they plan to return, and so did not feel safe giving their names.
The protester said that while she isn’t in Iran, “I haven’t seen such support for a political figure in all my life,” referring to Mousavi.
“There was huge enthusiasm everywhere around the country,” she said.
She noted what she thinks were signs of an unfair election, including results posted on a Web site shortly after the polls closed, even though there wasn’t time for the paper ballots to be counted.
She and others said they also wanted to draw attention to the treatment of protesters at home.
The election results set off three days of unrest and clashes between protesters and riot police.
Reform activists were arrested, text messaging and pro-Mousavi Web sites blocked.
The Associated Press reported one protester was killed when a group tried to set fire to a volunteer militia compound.
In an apparent shift in tactics, however, government security forces Monday were not ordered to move against protesters.
Another Penn State student from Iran taking part in Monday’s protest said that if the election stands, “It is the end of the little, little hope” they had.
“It’s going to destroy our future,” he said. “We love our country.”
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