Iranian security forces in Saqqez reportedly opened fire on protesters who had gathered on Wednesday (October 26) in the home city of Mahsa Amini to mark 40 days of her death. The 22-year-old died in police custody on September 16 in Tehran after she was arrested by Iran's morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab "improperly."
Thousands of protesters gathered near the grave of the Kurdish woman and clashed with the police. Rights groups and witnesses said the security forces fired live rounds and tear gas at the protesters in the city, AFP reported.
“Security forces have shot tear gas and opened fire on people in Zindan square, Saqqez city," AFP quoted Norway-based group Hengaw. Hengaw monitors violations of rights in Iran's Kurdish regions. The group did not mention if those shot at were dead or wounded.
Here’s a timeline of protests in Iran in the last 40 days.
Amini’s arrest
Mahsa Amini was arrested on September 13 by the Gasht-e Ershad, or morality police, while she was on a family vacation in Tehran. She was arrested for wearing her hijab or headscarf loosely.
Coma and death
According to multiple sources, the officers beat Amini with a baton and banged her head against a vehicle. She fell into a coma after collapsing at a detention centre. The Tehran police refuted the allegations and released the CCTV footage. After being in a coma for three days, Amini died on September 16. The police said she suffered a heart attack.
First protests
At her funeral on September 17 in Saqez, women protested by ripping off their hijabs. Police reportedly used tear gas on the protestors.
Deaths reported
Three people were reported dead on September 20 during protests in Kurdistan. A 16-year-old girl, Nika Shahkarami, is reported missing in Tehran and later found dead.
Women cut hair in protest
Women cut their hair and burnt their hijabs in public and posted TikTok videos. The slogan, ‘Women, Life, Freedom,’ were prominently used during flash protests.
Women show solidarity
Swedish Member of the European Parliament Abir Al-Sahlani cut her hair while speaking at the EU Assembly in Strasbourg, France, on October 6 in an act of solidarity with the Iranian women. Over 50 high-profile French women, including popular actors Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard, Isabelle Adjani and Isabelle Huppert, filmed themselves cutting their hair in support of Iranian women and girls who lost their lives in the protests.
Protests still on
Five weeks after Amini's death, the demonstrations and protests show no signs of ending. According to Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights, the crackdown on the protesters by the security forces has resulted in the death of at least 141 demonstrators till October 25, AFP reported.
