30 Apr. 24: Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has denounced the ongoing crackdown on pro-Gaza university protests in Western countries, asserting that the authorities’ actions have exposed the true nature of Western civilization. During a cabinet session in Tehran on Sunday, Raisi described the protests, which have garnered support from university students, academics, and elites, as a significant event with multifaceted implications.
He criticized the arrests of students and academics, particularly in the United States, labeling it as “another chapter of a scandal” by those purporting to champion free speech. Raisi emphasized that the crackdowns have only served to reveal the true face of Western civilization to people worldwide, suggesting that those who claim to uphold free speech are primarily concerned with maintaining their own dominance.
The president highlighted that despite the authorities’ efforts to suppress dissent, the protests against cruelty and crimes, particularly the Israeli regime’s actions in Gaza, will persist. Demonstrations against the Israeli regime’s actions, characterized as genocide in Gaza, have been gaining momentum on American campuses and in Australia and Europe in recent days.
Protesters are demanding that their universities divest from Israel and cease funding what they perceive as genocide in Gaza. Raisi’s remarks underscore the escalating tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the global solidarity movements it has sparked, highlighting the contentious nature of Western responses to such demonstrations of dissent.
