A video allegedly showing unarmed Iranian men “risking their lives” to protect women from police has gone viral on social media.
The video was posted to TikTok on Wednesday by Goldie Ghamari, a member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in Ontario, Canada, who wrote: “Unarmed Iranian men risking their lives protecting Iranian women against the illegitimate and terrorist Islamic regime in Iran. #MahsaAmini #IranProtests.” It has garnered over 230,000 views and more than 700 comments. You can watch the full video here.
Protests in Iran
Protests erupted throughout Iran on September 16 after the death of Mahsa Amini—a 22-year-old Kurdish woman accused of breaking a strict law requiring women to fully cover their hair with a hijab or headscarf in public. Iran’s “morality police” reportedly arrested Amini on September 13 and beat her before transferring her to the Vozara Detention Center in Tehran. She died in a hospital three days later, and while Iranian officials claim she died of a heart attack, some reports say she died due to torture and ill-treatment by the authorities.
In protest, female university students in Tehran removed their headscarves and chanted, “We don’t want forced hijab.” Some women in Mazandaran reportedly burned their headscarves in the city’s streets, and one woman cut her hair in Kerman’s main square.
Stephanie Keith / Stringer/Getty
“In our literature, cutting the hair is a symbol of mourning, and sometimes a symbol of protesting,” Faezeh Afshan, an Iranian chemical engineer living in Bologna, Italy, told CNN. “If we can cut our hair to show that we are angry…we will do it.”
Unfortunately, some protests have turned violent, and at least 41 people have died as of Sunday.
‘Risking Their Lives’
Ghamari’s video purportedly shows Iranians clashing with police, though she doesn’t specify where. At one point in the video, a woman charges at police, but they push her to the ground. Two men intervene and try to act as a physical barrier between her and the police, but she stands up and again runs toward the police.
When one officer pulls her to the ground, the same two men from before rush to her aid. A few more men come over, including one who appears to be in a fight with police, and the video ends with several men escorting the woman away.
Ghamari did not say who recorded the video or clarify whether or not the incident occurred during a protest. Newsweek has reached out to Ghamari for comment.
Viewers React
Several viewers thanked Ghamari for bringing awareness to the Iranian protests, while others applauded the presumed protesters for their bravery.
“Seeing her stand up for herself despite being rightfully terrified—she and all those fighting injustices have my utmost respect. Truly an inspiration,” elderlygentleman wrote.
“I can’t wait until everyone unites and realizes how strong they are as a unit. The government has no power over the united peoples,” Summer added.
