Iran, 'Hijab Suspicious Death' Protests Spread... Pro-Government Factions Respond with Condemnation Rallies

Pro-Government Faction Responds with Rally Condemning Protesters
Iran State TV Reports "35 Deaths Due to Protests"

Iranian Daily Reporting on the 'Woman Arrested for Not Wearing Hijab Dies Under Suspicious Circumstances' Case [Image Source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The protests in Iran triggered by the suspicious death of a woman not wearing a hijab have escalated as even pro-government factions have begun holding counter-protests.

According to major foreign media including the AP News, on the 23rd (local time), pro-government rallies condemning the protesters were held in various cities including Tehran, the capital of Iran.

At the rally in Tehran alone, thousands of participants waved the Iranian flag and shouted hardline slogans such as "Those who violate the Quran must be executed."

They also took part in the protests holding photos of the late Khomeini, who led the Iranian revolution.

Furthermore, reflecting the government's official stance blaming hostile foreign forces for the recent unrest, the pro-government groups referred to the anti-government protesters as "Israeli soldiers" and also chanted slogans opposing the United States and Israel.

The Iranian government claimed that these pro-government demonstrations were "spontaneous." Nevertheless, Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi expressed support for them, saying, "The pro-government protests have shown the strength and honor of the Islamic Republic."

As a week passes since the first protest on the 17th, on the 23rd (local time), Iran's state TV reported that 35 people have died so far due to the protests.

The government has yet to officially tally or announce the number of casualties.

The initial cause of the anti-government protests was the suspicious death of Mahsa Amini (22), who was arrested by the police for not wearing a hijab and suddenly died on the 16th (local time), raising questions that she may have died due to police brutality.

Following this, protests broke out in at least 13 regions including Amini's hometown of northwest Saqez, where women participating in the protests removed their mandatory hijabs and waved them in the air like flags, shouting "Freedom!"

Meanwhile, anti-government hackers targeted government websites over the past few days, temporarily taking some sites offline. The hackers disrupted the broadcast of Iran's official TV channel on popular websites for several minutes and posted videos supporting the protests.

In response, the Iranian government is tightening restrictions on platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp, which can be used to organize gatherings.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.