Iranian Shoppers Riot Against Modesty Police
It happens every day on the streets of Tehran: a police squad grabbed a young woman for dressing immodestly. But this time, the young woman fought back, and a crowd defended her and attacked the police. Thanks to cell phone video, the internet, and brave Iranian citizen reporters, Ardeshir Arian is able to tell the story.
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The Iranian regime does its best to keep a tight rein on news outlets, but new media — cell phone video, YouTube, and the countless number of blogs and news forums in Farsi — means that when large-scale protests against the regime occur in public they are impossible to completely conceal.
This is apparently what happened over the weekend. Sources have told PJM of a major public uprising over the weekend in Tehran — an account corroborated by other reports on the Web.
This is the story they tell: at approximately 7 pm on Saturday, February 23, the Ershad patrol, or modesty police assigned to enforce clothing regulations, accosted and attempted to arrest a young woman at Goldis Shopping Mall, located in western Tehran, presumably because her dress was not sufficiently modest.
In recent weeks, the police squads charged with enforcing modesty have become more rigorous in their enforcement, with thousands of women detained, questioned, and arrested for violating hijab standards.
Instead of meekly submitting to her fate, the woman fought back. A young man — it is unclear whether he was accompanying her — came to her defense and joined her in fighting the police. In an attempt to subdue — and humiliate him — the police grabbed the young man and threw him into the garbage can nearby.
That was when the large crowd, predominately made up of young people, rose up against the police and attempted to liberate the young woman themselves. Faced with a full-blown riot — complete with angry crowds with garbage cans being set on fire — the frightened police jumped into the van and fled the scene, except for one unfortunate officer who was left behind. The policeman was reportedly attacked and beaten by the mob.
The police returned, reinforced by a full-fledged anti-riot unit. To gain control of the situation, members of the unit fired warning shots into the air and threatened to fire directly into the crowd. There were reports of between 10-15 arrests.
The incident was documented by a cell phone video that was uploaded to YouTube. While the quality of the video is extremely poor, the Farsi narration and background voices were intelligible and translatable.
Among the calls coming from the angry crowd after the police were first driven away:
“You have put us on since 1979 until now,” the crowd cheered after repeating the slogan multiple times.
Another slogan was chanted repeatedly and accompanied by boos: “We do not want the Islamic regime.”
The crowd continuously boos and heckles the police: “A revolution is happening.” When a police vehicle approaches, there is a call: “Look, this guy is entangled too.” “He is going the wrong way.” “What the hell are you going to do?” “How many people do you think you can kill?”
Then, there are cries of “death to the police.”
On the video, the voice of an individual — a citizen reporter — narrates: “They (police) arrested a girl and put her in the van, people rushed to free her from the police custody. The arresting officer let go of her and they started attacking him. The van belonging to the agents left the scene, not wanting to be hit by the people and left that officer behind. People ambushed him as he was running away from them and beat him up badly.”
In a report on the event that appeared on the Iran Press Service web site, student web sites are quoted as saying that “to disperse the angry mob, heavy police and anti-riot units that arrived fired into the air but were met with a crowd of more than 300 people, now chanting slogans against the regime and its leaders, mostly Ayatollah Ali Khameni and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, chanting ‘We don’t want dictatorship,’ ‘We don’t want emergency and martial law.’”
The story comes on the heels of reports of student uprisings. As with this story, the reports are nowhere to be seen in the official Iranian press or the Western media — but by those who are determined that stories of resistance are somehow told.
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39 Comments
Ardeshir Tehranian:I loved it. i believe it is authentic and shows the deep hatred of Iranians for the non-iranian religion of islam (better called the Arab religion). i believe a revolution in Iran is imminent and Islam will be wiped out of our beloved land.
Feb 26, 2008 - 2:26 am Crusader Coyote:Bravo! This is wonderful to see. I hope this story spreads like wildfire, encouraging others who are likewise fed up with this nonsence. Hurrah for the mob rioting on behalf of the lady!
Feb 26, 2008 - 4:11 am Tonto:Adishir, I totally agree. The sooner the middle east, indeed the whole world, is rid of satan’s religion (islam), the better the world will be.
Feb 26, 2008 - 4:26 am Kamangir:Good job. Thanks.
Feb 26, 2008 - 6:31 am اخبار ایران:very good
Feb 26, 2008 - 6:42 am JD:Let’s remember, this is the same regime that Jimmy Carter and his cohorts put in place. The same type of leftists that have hitched on to the Obama wagon.
Feb 26, 2008 - 6:44 am اخبار ایران:very good .
Feb 26, 2008 - 6:44 am Dark Helmet:The Persian people were once our best friends in the middle east. A weak, appeasement minded lack of leadership allowed our friend to fall to tyranny.
It is note worthy who that past disgraced President supports in this election.
This same tyranny threatens us now more than ever.
It is time that America renews it’s values and commitment to freedom by supporting these brave souls.
Feb 26, 2008 - 7:03 am David E.:This is a great development. The Iranians need to stand up for themselves and resist tyranny. I am behind them all the way!
Feb 26, 2008 - 8:34 am AJ:Good for them! Keep it up, and soon Iran will be free!
Feb 26, 2008 - 9:20 am bour3:Yay! *dances*
Feb 26, 2008 - 10:19 am Anthony (Los Angeles):Bravo for the Iranian people! I tink Michael Ledeen is right: military action may not be needed if we support the anti-regime factions in Iran.
Feb 26, 2008 - 11:31 am USBeast:Hooray, hallelujah and hot damn! It’s always heart-warming to see freedom breaking free.
Where the hell is the MSM on this? Is anyone covering it?
Feb 26, 2008 - 12:06 pm Harvey Levy:C’mon, folks. Let’s not get to hyped up about this. There have been numerous acts of defiance against the Islamist regime but very little has changed.The little cockroach and the Islamo-Fascist still run the country with what appears to be an iron grip. The truth is that for real change to take place much blood will have to be shed. That’s the nature of revolution.
Feb 26, 2008 - 12:29 pm SouthParkConservative:It’s always good to see the people in Iran rise up against the horrible oppression that they have been experiencing since Jimmy Carter’s administration failed Iran as a country and let the backward animals that currently control Iran take power.
We (The US) need to see stuff like this in our media outlets, and we also need to encourage more dissent, and do it openly. It’s obvious that the average Iranian dislikes the situation that they’re forced to endure day after day.
All in all, Iran’s been meddling in Iraq and killing our soldiers for years now; they also meddle in the region extensively, with their proxies in Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, et. al. It’s about time we start meddling in their country, and empower the people that live there so they can set themselves free, before it’s too late and we have to use the military option.
Feb 26, 2008 - 12:32 pm NoDonkey:I think it’s shameful that these types of stories are NEVER reported in the MSM.
The Iranian people are in a desperate struggle against a truly vile, despotic bunch of apocalyptic thugs, who hang 14 year old girls in the streets for the “crime” of being raped.
Our media is morally and intellectually bankrupt. They refuse to see or report anything that does not fit their left wing agenda.
Feb 26, 2008 - 1:14 pm Oligonicella:You have a run-away script. Please check it out.
Feb 26, 2008 - 1:40 pm harry:This is just the beginning. The people of Iran will need a lot more of this. Everytime someone is a victim of religious extremism they must respond. But the next time the police will be better prepared. The people had better be aware of the next time. They will need battle plans not just impromptu riots. People should not expect, much less rely on, a peaceful revolution. The Mullahs/Islamic fundamentalists are violent people who will not go down without resorting to extreme violence to quell revolution. To think a peaceful solution is possible is to be naive. To hope a peaceful solution is possible is like the first law of motion. A body staying at rest tends to stay at rest. Iran needs bodies in motion.
Feb 26, 2008 - 2:55 pm Phillep:What sort of weapons could be hidden under a burqa? How would anyone know who it was, or even if the person under it was male or female?
Feb 26, 2008 - 3:29 pm bikermailman:Harvey, these things are becoming more common. The youth of today have nothing in common with the revolutionaries of 1979, and they want the freedoms that their parents had before the regime came in. We should be encouraging these brave souls. It’s real easy to sit over here and comment. God bless these kids for standing up to the thugocracy.
Feb 26, 2008 - 3:33 pm John the Dennis Miller Libertarian:Revolutions require a strong iconic personality with a compelling vision of governance to rally behind. Otherwise an overthrow collapses to anarchy. They need the anti-Khomeini. And it remains to be seen if Reza Pahlavi can fill those boots.
Feb 26, 2008 - 4:07 pm Yari:Dear Ardi,
It was wonderful! Thank you for sharing it with us. The people of sick and tiered of these cut throats telling them what do, think and act. Regime Change is the only answer!
Feb 26, 2008 - 7:32 pm mj:You do know the Revolution of 1979 was a “popular” uprising against the imperialist intentions of previous US administrations propped up puppet the shah of iran, eh? it wasn’t jimbo carter being a little weak in the knees that caused everything to happen.
Feb 26, 2008 - 10:46 pm a wombat:What a great story. So heartening to see ordinary people spontaneously rouse themselves against the kind of routine tyranny they’ve suffered all of their lives. I can only hope that this will scale up into a full-on regime change, though I admit I can only fantasize about how such a thing might work in practice.
Iran is a beautiful place, filled with great people, and there’s a wonderful culture hiding under all that oppression.
I can only shake my head at the people who would show support for the Iranian people’s thirst for freedom by damning their religion. How would you feel if someone offered to help solve your problems by eliminating Christianity? Conflating the religion with the regime is both incorrect and counterproductive; it’s also the tactic used by the oppressors themselves, and that should give you pause.
I’m also disappointed to see some people stooping to partisan point-taking by dropping the responsibility for the 1979 revolution onto Carter’s stooped shoulders. Do you really think that the previous administrations’ support of the Shah had nothing to do with it? He outlawed all but his own party and built torture chambers for dissidents, for crying out loud. Do you find the subsequent administration blameless for selling Iran arms even as they continued to kidnap Americans and attack our embassies and airplanes into the 1980s? Partisan hackery isn’t going to free Iran, nor is bloodlust, nor is insulting the faith or intelligence of average Iranian people.
+1 Iranian shoppers, -1 American blog commenters.
Feb 26, 2008 - 11:38 pm Mark Ducharme:Hurray for revolution in Iran!
Also, please help our heroes whom the Pentagon wants to see rotting in prison.
https://www.newsmaxstore.com/contribute/haditha/
Feb 26, 2008 - 11:56 pm Fariborz Shamshiri:Ardeshir, it’s a good job keep it up.
I am so happy that finally people shouted “We do not want the Islamic regime” because people curse islamic symbols and rulers in private discussions all the time but bring it to public protest, gives it another meaning which I love it. If people, not reformist (or any other mullahcrazy party), get appropriate support then we can take care of the regime.
Feb 27, 2008 - 3:05 am Paul McEneaney:Asalam aleykum
I am unsure if any person who moderated the site and it’s contents (including links) checks what people have left within the comments, but if they do, can i just point out that the link to the YouTube video is now a dead link and as thus would require resourcing/relinking by checking any of the numerous video upload sites out there! Why are we still relying on YouTube? Great article. I feel for the Iranian Women and the Men who conscientiously decide that they as a people are having rights a privileges stripped from them.
Peace and Blessings.
[We checked and video link works fine; could be due to some tech issue on your side — Ed.]
Feb 27, 2008 - 4:32 am tommy:The persians are a civilised people-cruelly oppressed– when I look at the behaviour of the muslims in the west,I am reminded of the maxim… “You can educate but you cant civilise”
Feb 27, 2008 - 4:54 am Alexandro:it will be a great day when Persians become great free Persians instead of Islamic slaves, i mean come on!! Persia!! it was proud and great empire of thinkers, mathematicians soon and so for, even with the Sha they were better than with all this Islamic fundamentalist crap
Feb 27, 2008 - 6:24 am nim:Bravo!
Feb 27, 2008 - 10:10 am Zareh:I was 7 years old when the revolution started in Iran, my family finally left when I was 11 years old. We left everything behind. I miss my neighborhood, I miss my house where I grew up in. I miss my friends and school mates. I hope that one day I can return to Iran and just walk the streets where I played and grew up in.
Maybe when I’m old and gray haired I’ll get the chance. I’ve sent this to my sister and my parents, even though I’ve lived outside of Iran for the majority of my life, I still miss Iran.
Feb 27, 2008 - 12:01 pm Ugly American:Nobody gives you Freedom.
Freedom is something you take.
Feb 27, 2008 - 1:16 pm redball6:Redbal #6 says, when they call for fire support we’ll be there.
Feb 27, 2008 - 2:05 pm Fariba:Dear Mr. Arian,
Feb 27, 2008 - 6:50 pm Tom in Wis:Great job as always.United we can stand strong in front of enemies of Iran & Iranians.For over 1400yrs.they forced Islam to us &
tried to destroy us as being Persian
& still goes on .Thank You for your wonderfull coverage it shows
we can get rid of them by courage & unity.
People fighting for their freedom is a beautiful thing. My heart goes out for all of those young ladies being harassed by the sin police.
Feb 28, 2008 - 8:43 pm DFCSTech:You could see several cell phone cameras at work, in the video. I think those things are going to save a lot of lives. If the government realizes that everything they ever do wrong is going to be recorded and seen by the outside world, they will not be likely to forcefully put down any uprisings.
Feb 29, 2008 - 1:11 am Potkin Azarmehr:These spontaneous outbursts are the best indication of how Iranians really feel. They don’t want a religious government, whether the “useful idiots” like it or not.
Feb 29, 2008 - 1:56 am Rene Holland:Iran doesn t need American bombs to become a democracy
Apr 4, 2008 - 8:24 am