TEHRAN — Rows of students marched at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, chanting against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “murderous leader” and calling for Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the toppled shah, to return as monarch. A video circulating online captured the scene amid the start of the new university term.

The protests aligned with ceremonies held 40 days after security forces cracked down on nationwide anti-government demonstrations last month. Those clashes, the deadliest domestic unrest since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, left thousands dead, according to reports.

State-affiliated SNN news agency aired footage of scuffles at Sharif, Iran’s premier engineering school. Protesters hurled rocks at volunteer Basij militia members, who often back security forces in suppressing dissent, the videos showed. Several Basij students suffered injuries.

Demonstrations spread to other campuses. Videos from rights group HAALVSH depicted protests at Beheshti University and Amir Kabir University, both in Tehran, as well as Mashhad University in northeastern Iran. The group published the clips online; their authenticity remains unverified.

In Abdanan, a western town that has seen repeated unrest, crowds gathered after authorities arrested a local activist teacher. Demonstrators shouted “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to the dictator,” rights organization Hengaw reported. Social media posts from the area echoed the chants.

Security forces have intensified efforts to curb lingering dissent from last month’s upheaval. Basij volunteers, drawn from student and community ranks, played a key role in prior confrontations. Officials have not commented on Sunday’s university protests.

Reza Pahlavi, living in exile in the United States, has gained attention from some protesters as a symbol of opposition to the current regime. His father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ruled Iran until the 1979 revolution ousted the monarchy.

HAALVSH and Hengaw, both focused on Iranian human rights, regularly document protest activity through videos and eyewitness accounts. Their reports often highlight arrests and clashes in restive areas like Abdanan.