Mashhad: A bold protest in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, has gained widespread attention after a woman was filmed stripping naked and jumping onto a police car. The video, which quickly circulated on social media, shows the woman standing on the car’s hood, shouting at armed officers, before climbing onto the windshield and making a defiant gesture.
Despite attempts by police to remove her, she remains unmoved, even as one officer reportedly reaches inside the vehicle, potentially for a weapon. A male officer, holding an automatic weapon, appears to hesitate to arrest the woman due to her nakedness, according to Euronews.
Protests sparked divided reactions
Although the woman’s exact motivations are unclear, social media reports suggest that she was protesting Iran’s increasingly stringent clothing regulations for women. Her actions have sparked varied reactions, with some questioning her mental state while others view her as a symbol of defiance against the country’s restrictive dress code.
The video, posted by Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad, shows the woman sitting on the windshield with her legs apart, as an armed male officer appears to hesitate in detaining her. The footage concludes with her shouting and raising her arms in protest. After the incident, the woman’s husband revealed that she is receiving medical care. Her protest is widely seen as a demonstration against Iran’s tightening restrictions on women’s clothing
Women resist Iran’s morality laws
The incident is part of a broader movement in Iran, where women are resisting the strict dress code enforced by the morality police. Previously, a woman had stripped down to her underwear at Tehran University, igniting a major debate and social media conversations.
In December, Iranian lawmakers had approved a controversial “chastity and hijab” law, which proposed harsh penalties for women and girls showing hair, arms or legs. The law sparked global outcry from human rights organizations like Amnesty International, which condemned Iran for deepening its oppressive policies. Although the bill was later suspended, it included provisions for heavy fines and up to 15 years in prison for repeated violations, with businesses required to report offenders to authorities.
