On November 4, 1979, during the Iranian Revolution, a group of Iranian college students invaded the American embassy in Teheran to protest the visit of Iran’s deposed shah to the United States for medical treatment. They captured 66 Americans and held many of them hostage for 444 days. Among the measures used to pressure the Iranian government to release the hostages, President Jimmy Carter ordered the cutting of diplomatic relations, the cessation of oil purchases from Iran, and the cancellation of US visas for Iranian nationals.

The 50,000 Iranian students studying in the United States at the time were ordered to report to immigration authorities for a review of their visas and possible deportation. This November 28, 1979 flyer invites students and others to a rally on the University of Washington campus in support of Iranian and other international students.

Caption information source: The Seattle Times: November 20, 1979, p. 13; November 22, 1979, p. 15; November 29, 1979, p. 3.