As a child in Iran, Shideh heard her parents warn her older siblings against taking part in anti-government demonstrations because of the bloody crackdown that would follow. But today, with protests raging across Iran, things have changed
Both Shideh - now a teenager - and her mother say they have joined seven weeks of demonstrations ignited by the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of Iran's morality police.
Iranian officials, who have blamed Amini's death on preexisting medical problems, say the unrest has been fomented by foreign enemies including the United States, and accuse armed separatists of perpetrating violence. More than two-thirds of Iran's 85 million people are under the age of 30. Even if the latest protests subside, the fearlessness of young Iranians could spell more trouble ahead for the establishment, according to rights activists, analysts and one former moderate official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
"As a mother, I feel I should stay on the streets and reclaim Iran for my daughter, for all Iranian girls."Amini's death has become a symbol for many of the manifold grievances in Iranian society, galvanising some protesters to demand the downfall of the Islamic Republic. "There is a turning point when repression and fear don't work anymore: when people realize they have power when they act collectively and when they fear the gloomy future more than the regime," he said.
Such taboo-breaking moments reflect a widening gap between Iran's clerical leadership and a young population, analysts say. Many young Iranians have long called for the lifting of social restrictions, such as internet censorship and strict dress codes. Iran's most widely feared force, the Revolutionary Guards - a hardline military force used by the state to crush political unrest - have yet to be deployed to quell the protests but its top commander warned demonstrators on Saturday to get off the streets.Yet unrest among university students, who played a major role in toppling the U.S.-backed shah in 1979, is far from dying down, with protests persisting at over 130 universities.
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