This Video Does Not Show a Recent Protest in Iran

Misbar investigated the viral claim and found it to be misleading. The protest shown in the video is outdated.

A Protest in Iran Following Mahsa Amini’s Death

Through reverse image search, Misbar’s team found the video published on several accounts on social media at the time of the protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran.

ABC Gazetesi, a Turkish news outlet, shared the video on X with the caption: “Protests growing rapidly in Iran's Islamic Regime: Iran also cut off access to Instagram and WhatsApp.”

The video could also be found in a YouTube video published in 2022 by a YouTube channel called, Bloomberg Quicktake.

Al Arabiya also shared the video on its X account, noting: “Protesters in Iran’s city of Amol force security personnel to retreat during anti-regime demonstrations fueled by the death of Mahsa Amini.”

Furthermore, credible news outlets such as The Washington Post cited the viral video in reports on Iran’s 2022 protests.

The Death of a 22-Year-Old Woman Ignited Protests in Iran

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, died after being detained by the morality police in Iran in 2022. Amini was detained for an alleged violation of the country’s strictures on women’s dress.

Her death sparked protests across Iran, fueled by the allegations of her mistreatment in custody, including beating until she collapsed and fell into a coma, and public dissatisfaction with the government’s priorities.

These protests demanded accountability, human rights, an end to discrimination, and equality, rallying under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom.”

Even after two years of Amini’s death and the ensuing protests, her family is still waiting for answers regarding her death in custody. Information relating to her death is hidden from both her family and the public.

Current Iranian Efforts to Repress Women, U.N. Reports

Two years after the death of Mahsa Amini and the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests following her death, Iran has expanded repressive measures and policies to further deprive women and girls of their fundamental rights, the U.N. reported last September.

Arrests and detention of family members killed in the context of the movement have intensified between July and September 2024. The U.N. expects these arrests to be part of a broader State effort to intimidate and prevent victims, families, and others expressing solidarity, from marking the second anniversary of the protests and the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement.

In April 2024, Iranian authorities launched a plan called “Noor” (meaning “light” in Persian), which was about taking extreme measures against women and girls flouting the mandatory hijab.

Following the Noor plan, the presence of security forces and the “morality police” has increased across cities. Iranian media reported that around 500 women and girls had been arrested for non-compliance with the hijab on 13 April 2023, the day of launching the Noor plan.

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