After days of protests in Iran against the customs police and against the obligation to wear the veil, demonstrations in support of the regime took place in several cities in the country this Friday (23rd).
This Friday’s public filing was convened by authorities to defend the use of the veil.
1 in 4 Iranian women at a proregime manifesto in Tehran on September 23, 2022 — Photo: Majid Asgaripour/Wana/Portal
Iranian women demonstrate in support of the regime in Tehran on September 23, 2022 Photo: Majid Asgaripour/Wana/Portal
The council responsible for organizing the proveil fair demonstrations has labeled the protesters who have taken to the streets in recent days as mercenaries, accusing them of insulting the Koran and the Prophet Muhammad, as well as mosques and the flag of Iran to have burned, the report said.
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2 of 4 An Iranian man hugs a police officer during a proveil protest in Tehran September 23, 2022 — Photo: Majid Asgaripour/Wana/Portal
An Iranian man hugs a police officer during a proveil protest in Tehran on September 23, 2022 Photo: Majid Asgaripour/Wana/Portal
Death of a young man because of the veil
The wave of demonstrations was sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was arrested by customs police for not wearing a veil, as the authorities believe is appropriate.
Amini was pronounced dead on September 16, three days after he was arrested by Tehran police. According to NGOs, the woman, who is called Jhina in Kurdish, suffered a fatal blow to the head, a statement denied by authorities, who announced an investigation.
The news of his death sparked outrage in the country’s major cities. The protests have spread to major urban centers in Iran.
Some protesters defiantly removed their hijab and burned it or symbolically cut their hair in front of the cheering crowd, images on social media show.
3 out of 4 protests in Iran — Photo: Portal
Protests in Iran — Photo: Portal
According to Amnesty International and other NGOs, the security forces responded by firing rubber and metal bullets, tear gas and water cannons at the crowd.
Internet access has been restricted in a pattern of “curfewstyle disruptions,” according to NetBlocks.
Instagram and WhatsApp, blocked since Wednesday, were not yet available this Friday.
Killed in the protests: 17 or 50?
According to official figures released by Thursday, the protests left at least 17 people dead, including five members of the security service.
Iran Human Rights (IHR), an Oslobased NGO, says the number is higher, reaching 50 dead, according to the latest figure released on Friday. This NGO reported that there had been protests in about 80 places in the last week.
According to Kurdish human rights group Hengaw, security forces fired guns at protesters during nighttime clashes in the northern city of Oshnavih.
In the city of Babol, protesters set fire to a large billboard depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to videos shared online that could not be independently verified.
4 of 4 ProIranian government protest on September 23, 2022 in Tehran — Photo: Majid Asgaripour/Wana/Portal
ProIranian government protest on September 23, 2022 in Tehran — Photo: Majid Asgaripour/Wana/Portal
The US Treasury Department on Friday released guidance to expand the range of internet services available to Iranians despite US sanctions on the country, amid protests across Iran following the death of a 22yearold woman he killed been in police custody for years.
Officials said the move would give Iranians easier access to tools that can be used to circumvent state surveillance and censorship, but would not completely bar the Tehran government from using communication tools to quash dissent, as it did on Wednesday by cutting off Internet access for most citizens.
“As courageous Iranians take to the streets to protest the death of Mahsa Amini, the United States is doubling down on its support for the free flow of information to the Iranian people,” Deputy Finance Minister Wally Adeyemo said.
“With these changes, we are helping the Iranian people be better equipped to counter government efforts to monitor and censor them.”
Adeyemo added that Washington will continue to issue guidance in the coming weeks.