Protests broke out in the Iranian capital Tehran and several other cities over the poisoning of schoolchildren with an unknown toxic substance: concerned parents took to the streets. Their meeting near the Ministry of Education building resulted in an anti-government action. Reuters writes about it.
The poisoning affected hundreds of schoolgirls in dozens of schools; the girls complained of headaches, nausea, and heart palpitations. The Iranian authorities blame “enemies of Tehran” for this. The country’s health minister commented that the schoolgirls suffered “light poisoning.” According to one version, they could become victims of radical Islamist groups that oppose women’s education.
“Suspicious specimens have been found during the field work and are being studied to identify the causes of the students’ illness, and the results will be published soon,” Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said.
Over the weekend, the disease affected more than 30 schools in at least ten of Iran’s 31 provinces. Videos posted on social media show parents gathering at schools to take their children home, with some students being taken to hospitals in ambulances or buses.
The first cases of poisoning were detected in Qom last November, when 44 girls were taken to hospital.
Previously, the red carpet at the Berlin Film Festival became a protest platform against the Iranian regime. A group of Iranian filmmakers demanded the release of jailed journalists and a rapper. They were joined by the president of the jury and the American actress Kristen Stewart.
