TEHRAN - Iranian First Vice President Is’haq Jahangiri said on Friday that the people are entitled to stage peaceful protests to seek their rights, urging the three branches of the government to create a mechanism for that purpose.

“All officials in the three branches of the government as well as the country’s officials and elites are committed to not only compensate the people’s losses but also they must embark on preparing the required mechanism to allow the people to protest peacefully,” Jahangiri wrote in his Twitter account in reference to the protests that followed an increase in gasoline prices on November 15. 

“The mentioned mechanism will allay the society’s concerns, bolster social wealth and in the meantime will open new horizons for the society’s better future,” Jahangiri remarked. 

The protests over gasoline prices turned violent in some cases, leaving a number of protestors and security forces killed. 

Touching upon the National Student Day in Iran, which falls on December 7, the vice president said, “This year, our university students are marking the Day differently because the country has been experiencing bitter days (in the past recent weeks).”

“We are still affected by the recent days’ developments which inflicted heavy material and spiritual damages (on the country) and left unfortunately a number of the people and security guards killed,” the vice president lamented.      

Student Day is the anniversary of the murder of three students in the University of Tehran on December 7, 1953 (16 Azar 1332 in the Iranian calendar) by police in the Pahlavi era. Every year there are local gatherings at many universities organized by students to commemorate the day.

Iran’s constitution’s chapter III (Article 19 to 42) refers to the rights of the people, saying, “Article 27 provides for freedom of assembly, provided that arms are not carried and the assemblies are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.”

MJ/PA