Iran 'Hijab Suspicious Death' Sparks Protests in the US and Europe

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Anti-government protests that began in Iran are spreading to various parts of the world, including the United States and Europe. The protests started after a woman in her 20s (named Amini) was detained for not wearing her hijab properly and died under suspicious circumstances.

According to foreign media on the 25th (local time), solidarity protests were held in several cities across the United States, T?rkiye, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.

In the United States, protests condemning the Iranian government took place on the 23rd at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC and at UC Berkeley in California. On the 2nd of next month, a protest will be held to form a human chain across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

There were also protests in T?rkiye, where many immigrants from Iran reside. On the 21st, around 300 Iranian immigrants gathered in front of the Iranian consulate in Istanbul to protest Amini's death. During the protest, three women cut their hair as a sign of protest against the Iranian government’s restrictions on women’s bodies. Participants shouted slogans such as "We do not remain silent, we are not afraid, we do not obey."

In Paris, France, protests condemning the Iranian authorities were held for two consecutive days starting on the 24th. Approximately 4,000 people participated in the protest at Trocad?ro Square in central Paris, according to police estimates. The protest began peacefully but clashes occurred when some participants headed toward the nearby Iranian embassy, resulting in confrontations with the police.

Around the same time in London, UK, clashes broke out between protesters attempting to approach the Iranian embassy in the UK and the police, leading to the arrest of five protesters.

Amini was detained on the 13th while visiting Tehran with her family for not wearing her hijab properly and fell unconscious during interrogation at the police station. She was transferred to a hospital and died three days later on the 16th. The Iranian police denied using violence and suggested the possibility of a heart attack, but there are claims that she was fatally struck on the head while at the police station.

The incident triggered large-scale protests in major cities including Tehran, and the Iranian government is responding with a harsh crackdown. At least 41 people have been reported dead so far during this process.