Video Allegedly Shows Iranian Men 'Risking Their Lives' to Protect Women

A video allegedly showing unarmed Iranian men "risking their lives" to protect women from police has gone viral on social media.

The video was posted to TikTok on Wednesday by Goldie Ghamari, a member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in Ontario, Canada, who wrote: "Unarmed Iranian men risking their lives protecting Iranian women against the illegitimate and terrorist Islamic regime in Iran. #MahsaAmini #IranProtests." It has garnered over 230,000 views and more than 700 comments. You can watch the full video here.

Protests in Iran

Protests erupted throughout Iran on September 16 after the death of Mahsa Amini—a 22-year-old Kurdish woman accused of breaking a strict law requiring women to fully cover their hair with a hijab or headscarf in public. Iran's "morality police" reportedly arrested Amini on September 13 and beat her before transferring her to the Vozara Detention Center in Tehran. She died in a hospital three days later, and while Iranian officials claim she died of a heart attack, some reports say she died due to torture and ill-treatment by the authorities.

In protest, female university students in Tehran removed their headscarves and chanted, "We don't want forced hijab." Some women in Mazandaran reportedly burned their headscarves in the city's streets, and one woman cut her hair in Kerman's main square.

"In our literature, cutting the hair is a symbol of mourning, and sometimes a symbol of protesting," Faezeh Afshan, an Iranian chemical engineer living in Bologna, Italy, told CNN. "If we can cut our hair to show that we are angry...we will do it."

Unfortunately, some protests have turned violent, and at least 41 people have died as of Sunday.

'Risking Their Lives'

Ghamari's video, originally posted to Twitter by @1500tasvir, purportedly shows Iranians clashing with police at a protest in Bojnard.

At one point in the video, a woman charges at police, but they push her to the ground. Two men intervene and try to act as a physical barrier between her and the police, but she stands up and again runs toward the police.

When one officer pulls her to the ground, the same two men from before rush to her aid. A few more men come over, including one who appears to be in a fight with police, and the video ends with several men escorting the woman away.

"In this [video] recorded [at] the murder protests in Bojnord, a woman stands in front of the agents and tells them, 'You have come to my land and are fighting with me.' Then a few others join in and talk to the agents. Finally, the officers answer them with batons and beatings," @1500tasvir tweeted.

Ghamari Talks Iran

Ghamari has posted footage from various protests to her TikTok page in the last several weeks. When asked what prompted her to do so, she told Newsweek: "As the first Iranian-Canadian woman politician in Canada, I have this moral obligation to be a voice for the people of Iran and at least use my platform to share what's happening.

"[Posting to social media] has really been an opportunity to share what's happening in Iran with the rest of the world, because with the Islamic regime shutting down the internet, the people of Iran have no way of communicating their reality with the world," Ghamari continued.

Ghamari said anti-government protests in Iran are "historical;" however, the current protests are unlike any the country has seen before.

"The images coming out of Iran are images we have not seen for 43 years. There are school girls chanting 'death to the dictator' in their schools. They are tearing up pictures of the Supreme Leader [Ali Khamenei], and they are burning their hijabs in their schools," she said.

"Another thing that makes these protests different is that they're being spearheaded by women," Ghamari added. "We've never seen images in the past of women leading the protests and fighting back and taking off their hijabs, and they're being brutally murdered for it."

Viewers React

Several viewers thanked Ghamari for bringing awareness to the Iranian protests, while others applauded the presumed protesters for their bravery.

"Seeing her stand up for herself despite being rightfully terrified—she and all those fighting injustices have my utmost respect. Truly an inspiration," elderlygentleman wrote.

"I can't wait until everyone unites and realizes how strong they are as a unit. The government has no power over the united peoples," Summer added.

Updated 09/29/2022, 5:35 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include the original source of Goldie Ghamari's video.

Updated 10/05/2022, 11:50 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from Goldie Ghamari.