- Violent protests have spread across Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
- Hadis Najafi, a protester killed in the rallies, has emerged as a symbol of the demonstrations.
As antigovernment demonstrations continue across Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, a young female protester killed in the rallies has become the focus of online attention and tributes. Hadis Najafi, a 20-year-old who frequently posted on social media, has emerged as a symbol of the protests after reports say she was killed by security forces in the city of Karaj.
Najafi left behind TikTok and Instagram accounts that have become memorials to her life and pages in support of the demonstrations, with thousands of people liking and commenting on her photos and videos. Najafi's last post, on September 5, has over 16,000 comments and is filled with people paying tribute to her.
The protests erupted on September 16 and have since spread to 80 cities in Iran, according to The New York Times. Police have fired on protesters and state media has acknowledged at least 41 people have died in the rallies so far, according to The Guardian. Massive waves of people have demonstrated in support of the late Amini — who was arrested for allegedly breaking Iran's mandatory hijab rules — and called on the government to increase women's autonomy.
Women and younger citizens are taking over the internet in protest of Amini and Nafaji's deaths
The online reactions to Amini and Najafi's deaths and the ongoing demonstrations has been intense, even amid a widespread internet blackout in Iran that echoes previous attempts by the country's government to smother collective dissent. Activists have told reporters that Iranians are using numerous methods, such as VPNs, to evade internet censorship.
Numerous images and videos from the protests have been shared millions of times online. A viral video with over 10 million views shows women burning head scarves in a fire as people cheer them on, while footage of a woman cutting her hair at the funeral of her sister who was reportedly killed in the protests was widely shared across platforms.
Holly Dagres, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told Insider that what makes these demonstrations stand out from the long history of protests in Iran is that they are being led by a younger and more digitally aware generation than in previous years.
"The youth, Iranian Gen Z, who are taking the helms of these protests and saying they no longer want an Islamic Republic," Dagres said.
Over the last week, social media platforms have swarmed with videos of young adults charging the streets and crowds of people carrying signs and waving flags to demonstrate against the hard-line government. Other clips have gained traction featuring people chanting "death to the dictator." A trend has also taken off on TikTok where Iranian and Muslim women across the globe are cutting off their hair and slicing up hijabs to show solidarity with Iranian women fighting against the hijab mandates.
Meanwhile, many political leaders from other countries have spoken out online in support of the Iranian people. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new sanctions against Iran and said he would "stop at nothing to ensure that this regime is held to account." US Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted a statement last week on holding "Iranian officials accountable for the senseless death of Mahsa Amini and other human rights abuses."
In an echo of the uproar over Amini's killing, Najafi has now also become a rallying point for protesters. Her instagram photos are flooded with tens of thousands of people liking and commenting on them, a hashtag of her name was used in almost 10,000 tweets within one hour on Monday afternoon, and supporters have posted numerous illustrations and videos dedicated to her.
Najafi's older sister also posted a video of the funeral following her sister's killing, which received over 270,000 likes in the less than a week it was uploaded. On social media platforms, Najafi's name has become a popular hashtag to spread word of protests and call for change.
"Every woman in this planet must have the opportunity to choose," one Twitter user wrote, using hashtags for Najafi and Amini's names. "What to wear and what to not. Without being harassed, or oppressed."
A video that many claimed showed Najafi went viral, but it turned out not to be her
Although many posts referencing Najafi solely use her name or an image of her, many included a video of a woman tying up a ponytail in a dimly lit street.
The video circulated widely on Sunday and Monday, with many people claiming it showed Najafi walking in the street without a head scarf in protest of the government. Since then, the actual woman in the video has spoken out saying she's not Najafi, according to multiple reporters.
Although the woman in the video clarified her identity, she told BBC Persian that she would fight for the "Mahsas and Hadis'."
"Gen Z is leading the protests in Iran right now and to see a beautiful, young woman gunned down in cold blood by security forces would move anyone," Dagres said about why Najafi has become a symbol for protesters, even if the viral video didn't actually show her. "There was something about that video of the young woman tying her hair, as if readying for battle, that spoke to many Iranians."