The level of protest in many Iranian cities and towns is unclear. The movement reflects widespread unrest after the 2019 agitation. Human rights groups had said about the agitation in 2019 that hundreds of people were killed in it.
Iran has also blocked access to the Internet, according to Internet watcher Netblox. Popular social media platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp, used for organizing rallies, have also been banned.
A newscaster on state television said late Thursday that 26 protesters and policemen have been killed since last Saturday’s protests following the funeral of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
He said official figures would be released later, but the Iranian government has not officially released the death toll in such incidents in the past.
At least 11 people have been killed in the violence, according to a figure from The Associated Press based on statements from state and semi-official media.
Recently, Qazvin deputy governor Abolhassan Kabiri said that a civilian and a paramilitary officer were killed in violence in two towns in the North-Western Province.
The current violence in Iran began after the death of a young woman from the northwestern Kurdish city of Amini, who was arrested last week in Tehran by the country’s ethics police for violating a strict dress code.
His death has been strongly condemned by Western countries and the United Nations, and the incident has sparked outrage across the country.
The video shows Amini wearing a long black gown (abaya) and a government-mandated Islamic hijab at the time of her arrest.
Following the incident, a large number of women have taken to the streets to protest against the hijab and videos have surfaced of many women burning their hijab amid slogans of “freedom”.
Some are calling for an end to the influence of Islamic religious leaders on the regime. The protesters are seen shouting slogans like ‘Tanashah ko death’ and ‘Mullaon ko jaana hoga’.
In at least 13 cities from the capital Tehran to Amini’s Kurdish hometown of Sakez, thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets, accusing them of social and political repression.
Videos on social media show protesters setting a police vehicle on fire and clashing with officers in Tehran. In the video, gunshots are also heard in the capital and people can be heard saying, “They are shooting people. Oh God! They are killing people.”
In the northwestern city of Neshabur, protesters rejoiced when a police vehicle overturned.
Meanwhile, radical groups demonstrated in support of the government in Iran. They were raising slogans against America and Israel.
Iran’s intelligence ministry warned on Friday that people should not attend “illegal” rallies in the streets, or else they would be prosecuted.
AP
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