this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2026
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As details of the death toll for January’s protests continue to emerge, three students explain why they are resisting a return to normality

More than 45 days after a brutal January crackdown that left thousands of Iranian protesters dead, students across several universities are protesting again. As Iran’s new academic term began on Saturday, students in Tehran gathered on campus, chanting anti-government slogans, despite a heavy security presence and plainclothes officers stationed outside university gates.

The Guardian spoke to protesting students about why they were rallying despite the fact that thousands had been killed and tens of thousands arrested in the January demonstrations.

“Our classrooms are empty because the graveyards are full,” said Hossein*, 21, a student at the University of Tehran. “It’s for them – our friends, classmates and compatriots, who were gunned down in front of our eyes, that we decided to boycott the classes.”

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[–] itslilith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 84 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

The protests are good and justified, all power to the Iranian people. Iran deserves a second revolution, after the first one was taken over by the Mullahs for their own goals.

But it's genuinely disheartening how readily nominally progressive spaces are jumping abord the manufactured consent for an imperialist military intervention by Israel and the US.

How, exactly, will bombing Iranian cities help their liberation? Or even if they succeed with deposing the Mullah regime, is anyone really expecting self determination by the Iranian people afterwards? We're seen how the Shar's son is pushed as the next US puppet government by US- and Israeli media (and their European allies).

The Iranian people, not just the current regime, are supportive of Palestine, and Israel and the US absolutely cannot accept that. Don't cheer for imperialist intervention.

[–] desertdruid@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 19 hours ago

at this point I'm don't understand it but I can see it as a possible future for a lot of Latin America

we are watching in real time how Venezuela is transforming into a US colony

right now Fidel's grandson is allegedly making deals with the US gov (while the US asks Mexico to stop any deals involving gas with Cuba)

and here in Mexico the state is so corrupt and the US propaganda is running strong for an intervention like the one in Venezuela (and what happened yesterday just made it worse)

[–] CyberEgg@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

But it's genuinely disheartening how readily nominally progressive spaces are jumping abord the manufactured consent for an imperialist military intervention by Israel and the US.

Please provide evidence where this generally left-of-centre british reporting is "manufacturing consent". Which text lines do you think are trying to make us readers agree to that kind of action by these two states?

[–] Riverside@reddthat.com 2 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

From the Wikipedia article of Atrocity Propaganda (I added emphasis):

Atrocity propaganda is the spreading of information about the crimes committed by an enemy, which can be factual, but often includes or features deliberate fabrications or exaggerations. This can involve photographs, videos, illustrations, interviews, and other forms of information presentation or reporting

"The inherently violent nature of war means that exaggeration and invention of atrocities often becomes the main staple of propaganda. Patriotism is often not enough to make people hate the enemy, and propaganda is also necessary"

The application of atrocity propaganda is not limited to times of conflict but can be implemented to sway public opinion and create a casus belli to declare war

[–] CyberEgg@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Nice wiki quote. Now show me, where this applies to the article.

[–] Riverside@reddthat.com 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

From the text in the post, I've added emphasis:

‘Our classrooms are empty because the graveyards are full’: Iran’s students on why they are protesting again

As details of the death toll for January’s protests continue to emerge, three students explain why they are resisting a return to normality

More than 45 days after a brutal January crackdown that left thousands of Iranian protesters dead, students across several universities are protesting again. As Iran’s new academic term began on Saturday, students in Tehran gathered on campus, chanting anti-government slogans, despite a heavy security presence and plainclothes officers stationed outside university gates.

The Guardian spoke to protesting students about why they were rallying despite the fact that thousands had been killed and tens of thousands arrested in the January demonstrations.

“Our classrooms are empty because the graveyards are full,” said Hossein*, 21, a student at the University of Tehran. “It’s for them – our friends, classmates and compatriots, who were gunned down in front of our eyes, that we decided to boycott the classes.”

There is literally not one paragraph in the post text without atrocity propaganda, some paragraphs with several cases. Are you being purposefully obtuse?

They are spreading details about the crimes committed by the enemy, whether factual or not, and this can serve to justify a casus belli. It's literally the definition of atrocity propaganda.

[–] CyberEgg@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (2 children)

You'd need to show how this is more than simply reporting events and the POV of participants. You'd have to show how the intention is propaganda, how the article manipulates the reader, etc. You'd need to show how this differs from the reporting of ICE crimes, for example.

And then you'd need to show how the article tries to convince me that a US military intervention would be something I as a european should support.

[–] Schmoo@slrpnk.net 1 points 57 minutes ago (1 children)

And then you'd need to show how the article tries to convince me that a US military intervention would be something I as a european should support.

You, as a european, are not the target demographic.

[–] CyberEgg@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 40 minutes ago (1 children)
[–] Schmoo@slrpnk.net 1 points 4 minutes ago (1 children)

It should be obvious that the target demographic for atrocity propaganda about an enemy of the US is US Americans.

[–] CyberEgg@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 55 seconds ago

Why should US citizens be the target audience for a british medium?

[–] Riverside@reddthat.com 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Reporting ICE crimes is also atrocity propaganda. Propaganda doesn't mean it's bad, it just means you're swaying public opinion. I believe that spreading anti-ICE propaganda is good because ICE are a bunch of fascist pigs, I believe that propagating anti-Iran propaganda in the context of the military buildup against Iran is bad because it serves to justify the casus belli and the upcoming military invasion.

[–] CyberEgg@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

it just means you're swaying public opinion.

How exactly is this article doing this?

Propaganda is communication that is primaroly used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda. Methods to do so would be using selective facts, loaded language, etc so the audience does not come to a rational conclusion but a fabricated one.
Which facts does the article leave out, where does the article use loaded language, which effects do these parts have and how does that make me, a european, want the US go to war on Iran?

[–] Riverside@reddthat.com 0 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

so the audience does not come to a rational conclusion but a fabricated one

That's not how propaganda works, propaganda explicitly can be true information as explained to you before using the Wikipedia article. I literally quoted it to you, it can be factual information.

Mentioning atrocities in every single paragraph is the biggest case of atrocity propaganda, and if you are purposefully obtuse enough not to see it, just drop this conversation.

[–] CyberEgg@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Where did I state the information used for propaganda can't be true? In the sentence you quoted I talk about the audience's conclusion, not the presented information.

You repeatedly fail to show where the concepts you present are applicable to the article. You keep deflecting, moving goalposts around and dodging the actual questions.

[–] Riverside@reddthat.com 0 points 3 hours ago (1 children)
[–] DaMummy@hilariouschaos.com 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

I applaud your patience. "obtuse" is such a mild term to what's deserving.

[–] Riverside@reddthat.com 2 points 2 hours ago

I find it hard to engage with these people without using ableist terms, I've settled on "purposefully obtuse" because it's clear and neutral enough I believe. Thanks for reading anyway

[–] couldhavebeenyou@lemmy.zip -2 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

I think most people are hoping for an attack on military targets like last year. No-one is calling for "bombing cities". That's a tankie fantasy. A fantankasy

[–] Riverside@reddthat.com -1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

The biggest death toll in the Iraq war didn't come from the US explicitly bombing civilians, it came from the US destroying the infrastructure and military of Iraq, leading to a failed state which melted the economy, led millions to destitute poverty, and created the conditions for the appearance of ISIS.

The US doesn't need to bomb civilians to murder them, they already murder half a million civilians worldwide every single year through economic sanctions, in which Iran is plastered.

[–] couldhavebeenyou@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Well no. The biggest death toll in the Iraq Adventure (r) came from the civil war that erupted between (mainly) Sunni and Shia militias. Instead of singing kumbaya and rebuilding the country together they started murdering eachother to settle old scores and try to grab power. Which is to be expected, and was expected, actually.

But that doesn't mean that should be the final argument in the question of how you help a people liberate themselves from their oppressors, as that would just mean you accept the status quo and the fact the oppressors won.

[–] Riverside@reddthat.com -1 points 1 hour ago

Honestly, fuck you for playing dumb and doing propaganda for the empire. Zionist scum, vile piece of fascist garbage, white supremacist imbecile. You know what you're doing.