College students rally at EU embassies in Tehran

University students in the Iranian capital of Tehran have rallied in front of two European embassies, calling on the Parliament to limit ties with the “interfering” governments.

The students held demonstrations outside the French and Italian embassies on Tuesday chanting “death to the supporters of terrorism” and “death to Berlusconi” referring to the Italian Prime Minster Silvio Berlusconi.

The protestors also hurled eggs and tomatoes at the French embassy in protest, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported. They also held placards calling on the country’s lawmakers to sever ties with those European states that have “insulted” the Islamic Republic.

Commenting on the protests, the Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told a Senate hearing Tuesday that police had blocked around a hundred of what he claimed to be “Basiji dressed as civilians” from attacking the building of the Italian embassy.

The Iranian police had “stopped a full-blown assault,” he added.

Observers emphasize that the Italian foreign minister’s reference to the Basij (mobilization) forces is another deliberate attempt by the EU member to demonize and show open disrespect for a major unit of the Iranian defense forces that is people-based, in effect offending the whole Iranian citizenry.