IRAN Protests

Woman, Life, Freedom

An ongoing series of protests and civil unrest against the government of Iran began in Tehran on 16 September 2022 as a reaction to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested by the Guidance Patrol for wearing an "improper" hijab — in violation of Iran's mandatory hijab law — while visiting Tehran from Saqqez.

According to eyewitnesses, Amini had been severely beaten by Guidance Patrol officers, an assertion denied by Iranian authorities.
The protests quickly spread from Amini's hometown of Saqqez to other cities in the province of Kurdistan and to other provinces within Iran. In response to these demonstrations, beginning on 19 September the Iranian government implemented regional shutdowns of Internet access.
As protests grew, a widespread Internet blackout was imposed along with nationwide restrictions on social media.

Women, including schoolchildren, have played a key role in the demonstrations. Besides increased rights for women, many demonstrators have demanded the overthrow of the Iranian government. The protests have been seen as the greatest challenge to the Iranian government in decades.
According to Iran Human Rights, as of 25 October 2022 at least 234 people had been killed as a result of the government's intervention in the protests, involving tear gas and gunfire, making the protests the deadliest since the 2019–2020 protests that resulted in more than 1,500 fatalities. The government's response to the protests was widely condemned.

Demonstrators used slogans and banners that directly criticized the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Khamenei. Protesters showed strong opposition to human rights violations perpetrated by Iran's Guidance Patrol. "Woman, Life, Freedom" (Persian: زن، زندگی، آزادی, romanized: Zan, Zendegī, Āzādī, Kurdish: ژن، ژیان، ئازادی, romanized: Jin, Jiyan, Azadî) is the signature slogan of the protests.