I was one of those student leaders. In the regime’s view, I was considered to be an architect of a student uprising on July 9, 1999, an uprising that was a true turning point in the movement for democracy. Students like me began to attack the regime itself, rather than simply calling for reform. And so I spent six years in the notorious Evin prison. Two of those years were in solitary confinement.

This year, I witnessed Student Day transformed into something bold and new. For the first time, regular citizens joined students in a common call for democracy and human rights.

Since Dec. 7, the movement has only become stronger, with protestors openly denouncing the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, challenging the entirety of the ruling establishment, and demanding the separation of religion and state. Among the protestors on Student Day was Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, daughter of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the second most powerful man in the ruling establishment.

One thing is certain: Dec. 7 proved that the movement for a free, democratic Iran is robust and only growing in strength. If the government continues to opt for violence, there very well may be another revolution in Iran. One side has to step down. And that side is the government—not the people.