On February 11, 1979, Iran turned the page on a 2,500-year-old monarchical regime. Ayatollah Khomeini, exiled for fourteen years for opposing the Shah, takes power. He must deal with the different political currents. This is how the Islamic Republic was born, with on one side a President and a Parliament, on the other the power of God embodied by the Supreme Leader. Khomeini relies on armed militias and the clergy to consolidate his power. It makes the wearing of the veil one of the founding pillars of the regime. A look back at the main protest movements that have punctuated the history of the Islamic Republic.
March 8, 1979: the great demonstration of women against the veil
In Tehran and in several big cities, thousands of women take to the streets against the obligation to wear the veil introduced by Ayatollah Khomeini. Without a headscarf, they walk and denounce the role offered to them in Iranian society: Freedom is our culture, staying home our shame! ” Or ” Freedom and equality are our inalienable rights! The regime prohibits, for example, women from serving as judges. Shirin Ebadi, future Nobel Prize 2003, pays the price. They are also banned from sport or prevented from taking the initiative of a divorce. In the Constitution of the Islamic Republic adopted in December 1979, it is the status of mother which, according to the text, is the “main mission” of women. In the same text, the provisions relating to women are accompanied by the condition of “respect for the principles of Islam”. This is the first protest against the regime. The political groups do not support the movement, thinking that the issue is secondary.
July 9, 1999: the student revolt known as “18 Tir”
In 1997, Mohammad Khatami, considered a moderate cleric, was elected president of the Islamic Republic. This is a surprise, as he is not supported by influential religious leaders. Young Iranians hope for a profound transformation of society. But Khatami is blocked in his reforms. On July 7, the Parliament modifies in a restrictive way the law on the press. On July 8, students demonstrate in Tehran against the closure of the reformist daily Hello. On July 9, the attack on the student dormitory of the University of Tehran sets fire to the powder. The armed forces are indeed prohibited from entering campuses. The cities of Tabriz, Shiraz, Isfahan and Mashhad are the scene of violent clashes. Protesters chant slogans against the Supreme Leader. They will be violently repressed. This repression is denounced by several members of the government, an illustration of the duality of power shared between the supreme guide, Ali Khamenei, and the reformist president Khatami. The students demand more freedoms and the acceleration of reforms. On July 20, several officials of the bassidjisand Guardians send an open letter to Khatami. They threaten to intervene directly if he delays in putting an end to the protests quickly. Seven students were killed, 200 injured and 1,400 others arrested, but the figures vary according to sources. The disillusionment of the students vis-à-vis the reformers is strong. The students then distance themselves from political life.
June 15, 2009: the green movement
In 2005, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, supported by the Revolutionary Guards, succeeded Mohammad Khatami as the sixth president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. On June 12, 2009, he was returned to power for four years. But opponents denounce electoral fraud. Three days after the proclamation of the results of the presidential election, monster demonstrations are organized in several cities of the country. The green movement, a movement in support of Mir Hossein Moussavi, an unsuccessful candidate, is taking shape. The main slogan is:Where is my vote? Iranians from the middle class defy the authorities and in particular the Supreme Leader. The question of his power is at the heart of the protests. Clashes take place. The regime does not hesitate to make use of ideological militias ( Bassidji and Pasdaran) to quell protests. At least 80 people are killed. Opposition intellectuals and activists are massively arrested. Show trials take place. Hundreds of Iranians are fleeing the country.
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December 27, 2017: the girls of Rue de la Révolution
The movement known as the “Girls of the Street of the Revolution”, “ Girls of Enghelab Street », begins on December 27, 2017. On this day, Vida Movahed, 31, waves her veil in front of the crowd in Tehran. His gesture is taken up by many women in the following month. In total, 29 of them are arrested. The participants in these protests take off their scarves and brandish it at the end of a stick while remaining motionless. The so-called “White Wednesdays” campaign began a year earlier. Women take pictures of themselves and post them on social media. This protest linked to the dress requirements imposed on women is widening.
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November 15, 2019: riots following the rise in the price of gasoline
In mid-November, the day after the surprise rise in the price of gasoline, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the country. Very quickly, the protest reached the capital and turned into an uprising against the regime. The protests mostly involve people who are unemployed or the working poor in precarious jobs. Videos posted on social media show Iranians burning the portrait of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Internet access is blocked. A Reuters survey reports around 1,500 people killed.
This riot comes after several years of economic crisis. Hassan Rohani became president in 2013. The 2015 nuclear deal and subsequent reopening to the international economy have revived hopes for change. But in 2018, the United States’ withdrawal from the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, described as “disastrousby Donald Trump, reverses the trend.
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September 16, 2022: the death of Mahsa Amini
It all started with the announcement of the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian girl arrested by the morality police for wearing the veil “inappropriately”. Large-scale protests erupt across the country. First in Saqqez, in Iranian Kurdistan, where Mahsa Amini is from, then in Tehran and in around thirty cities. The slogan “women, life, freedomis essential in a few hours. For the first time, in a massive way, men show their solidarity with women, considered as second-class citizens. They burn their veil in public. Clashes take place with the police, causing several deaths. Women’s rights are at the forefront of demands. But the protesters are also speaking out against the Islamic regime and its religious laws. There are many young people, sometimes supported by their parents. They grew up with social networks and want to have a free life. Arrests are numerous, death sentences and executions follow one another. Support for the Iranian people is growing all over the world. For many specialists, the events mark a break in the history of the Islamic Republic.
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