It is impossible to know who is who in the streets that surround the streets around the Valiasr square in the heart of Tehran. Dozens of men –and some women–, dressed like any contemporary young man, try to camouflage themselves among other passers-by to pass themselves off as critics of the government. They are militiamen dressed in civilian clothes sent to snitch on those who have come there to group together and protest. In the midst of this atmosphere full of tension, and permeated by bursts of tear gas that immediately redden the eyes, two girls walk hand in hand heading north.
Both of them have dropped their veils back, and without looking at the motorized battleships patrolling the surroundings, they walk defiantly. “Of course I am afraid, but protesting is the only way left for us. There is no future here,” Shima, one of the two young women, would say this Thursday morning after the day of protests. The appointment was in a cafeteria in Tehran, they looked tired, but they still expressed hope that these protests can bring some change. “There are many of us, you have seen it. We don't want them to veil us, we don't want them to make us live in fear,” says Mahsa, the other young woman who, like her friend, is 21 years old. Both study design at a university in Tehran.
They say that at night it was heavy. The number of soldiers was greater than on other days and they did not hesitate to respond with force. "The gases are very strong," adds Mahsa. To counteract the effect of the smoke, many young people light cigarettes and others set fire to garbage containers, which also serve as trenches to counteract the advance of the uniformed men, including the paramilitary units known as Basij, a force little loved by many of these young people. Some of the images that have been seen on the streets of Tehran and other cities resemble battlefronts dominated by huge bonfires. The remains of the bricks with which the young people respond are still littered the streets.
“(The Basij) have always been intervening in our lives, they have never left us alone,” explained Mohsen, 24, who has also been at the protests. He says that as the authorities respond more harshly, young people will react more violently. And this is not unique to Tehran. In recent days dozens of cars, motorcycles and buildings belonging to different forces have been attacked throughout the country. “They do it because they have nothing to lose…they don't think there is any future in the country,” adds Mohsen.
Older generations, including those who made the green revolution in 2009, keep repeating that this generation is the bravest of all those who have led the protests in Iran. Especially the women. They note that this time the mobilization is motivated by a reason other than the political or economic situation. They were driven by the outrage caused by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl from Iranian Kurdistan who was captured because the so-called morality police considered that she did not comply with Islamic dress rules. “We know that in Vozará – because of the name of the police station where they take detained women – they beat those who protest,” says Mahsa, the 21-year-old. The authorities insist that Mahsa had a heart attack while she was detained and that she was not beaten.
A week later, the result of the investigation promised by President Ebrahim Raisi is still unknown. This Thursday, during his visit to New York, he refused to hold an interview with CNN journalist Christiane Amampour -of Iranian origin- after she will refuse the requirement to cover her head
“40 years ago they promised that women without veils would have a space in society, but they did not fulfill it. His mind is not broad enough to accept it,” explains Ali, 25, who works in another cafe in Tehran. She wishes it were different, but she thinks the protests will end quickly. "They're going to arrest a lot of people and crack down on as much as they can," says Ali. For several days, different voices from the nizam, or from the system, including the Revolutionary Guards, have claimed that opposition groups or "elements sponsored by foreign enemies" have taken advantage of Mahsa's excuse to create chaos.
"Sedition will fail," said a statement released Thursday by the Revolutionary Guards, which also called on the Islamic Republic's judiciary to prosecute "those who spread false news and rumours" about Mahsa's death. This comes hours after the internet was partially blocked in the country, especially on mobile phone networks, as they did to suppress other protests in previous years. Many activists believe that this measure will help increase repression.
The Center for Human Rights in Iran, an organization based in Oslo, said Thursday that 31 civilians had died. Other information assures that there are 12 dead people, among them 5 members of the State security forces. However, versions that come from Iranian Kurdistan, where Mahsa was originally from, assure that only in that region can the figure be higher.
“My generation does not know what they are looking for with these protests. They only know that she is tired of the government, of the veil, of economic issues”, concludes Ali, the young man from the café.
On the other hand, the United States sanctioned this Thursday the head of the morality police, Mohamed Rostami Cheshmeh Gachi, and eight other police and military officials for the death of the young woman and for the repression of the protests.
