Reports from Tehran say there are tight security measures near several universities and academic centers particularly in downtown Tehran where demonstrations have been going on since Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, large groups of young people gathered at the Azadi Square in Tehran Sunday afternoon and early evening to hold a vigil while chanting slogans against the regime and the IRGC, protesting the downing of a Ukrainian airliner that left 176 passengers and crew, including many Iranian students and academics dead.

Marchers chanted, “A government of Guards…We reject, we reject”, in a reference to IRGC with tremendous political and economic power in Iran.

It appears that the protest demonstrations that shook Iran in mid-November are making a comeback with a renewed rigor. However, the riot police appear to be more reserved after reportedly killing up to 1,500 demonstrators in the previous round of the protests. No deaths were reported so far on Saturday and Sunday.

Eyewitnesses have already reported security forces intermittently shooting in the air and using tear gas in Tehran including at Azadi Square Sunday evening. Foreign-based satellite TVs have been reporting about the police beating the demonstrators as darkness fell over the Iranian capital.

Videos on social media later in the evening showed scenes of plainclothes agents attacking people and in one case an agents is said to have shot a woman in the leg,

Fresh demonstrations are also reported in Isfahan, Tabriz, Gorgan, Rasht, Shiraz, Sanandaj, Kermanshah, Qazvin and several other Iranian cities Sunday evening.

A Tehran University professor observed that security measures were even tight around Imam Sadeq University where selected pro-regime students study to become the cadres of the Iranian Foreign Ministry and Intelligence Ministry.

Professor Sadeq Zibakalam wrote: “It is understandable though bitter to see special unit troops near the Polytechnic, Sharif, Tehran, Beheshti and Allame Universities. But seeing special units in front of Imam Sadeq University is still bitter but not understandable as they are carefully selected. Do they need to be watched too?”

Anti-riot troops and armored vehicles were also reported to be present near Beheshti University in northern Tehran on the slopes of the Alborz mountains.

Students at Beheshti University refused to stampede on U.S. and Israeli flags while booing a handful of students belonging to Basij militia who stepped on the flags.