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| Mehsa Mehdili |
"There was a spirit of protest. The movement’s shift from the universities to the streets was very important. The level of knowledge of students on national and cultural rights issues was quite high," says southern activist Mehsa Mehdili, describing the atmosphere of May 2006. At that time, she participated in mass protests organized in response to a cartoon that insulted Azerbaijani Turks. In an interview with Voice of America, Mehsa Mehdili explains the dynamics of the mass protests.
According to her, the mood that emerged during the transition from the relative openness of President Mohammad Khatami’s era to the closed political environment under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad played a major role in the student uprisings in May.
"During Khatami’s presidency, there was a relatively open environment. Even then, students faced pressure due to their activism, but it was not as severe as under Ahmadinejad. When Ahmadinejad came to power, restrictions increased, and the price students had to pay became heavier... In this situation, there was a spirit of protest at the universities. Additionally, students during Khatami’s era had been more educated and organized regarding cultural discrimination," says Mehdili.
According to her, "Students organized and initiated serious protests before the issue spread to the cities and the broader society."
Mehdili also discusses how student activists came together with other activists during the May protests.
Assessing the role of women, particularly female students, in the mass protests, Mehsa emphasizes that women often paid a heavier price due to their public positions.
"At Urmia University, where I studied, women played significant roles in preparing notices and organizing the protests. They also paid a heavy price for their participation. Those arrested, expelled from the university, or temporarily suspended were often women," she adds.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Məhsa Mehdili: Tələbə qadınlar May Qiyamında böyük rol oynadılar