Protest Erupts As Morality Police Base In Shiraz Set Ablaze

A base of the morality police in Afifabad Street, Shiraz, was set ablaze Saturday as hijab crackdowns reach unprecedented levels across Iran. 

The incident follows more than a year of nationwide protests sparked by the death in morality police custody of Mahsa Amini last September, which has seen growing numbers of women in Iran rejecting the mandatory hijab.

Iran's parliament has since passed a stringent 'hijab bill' in mid-September, threatening violators with a severe penalty of up to ten years' imprisonment, in addition to stepping up morality police patrols and digital surveillance.

Women have been increasingly defiant ever since, going in public spaces such as shops, cafes and universities unveiled, and the regime has consequently deployed agents known as ‘hijab enforcers’ to public places.

Many hijab defiers have since been fined, jailed and banned from public spaces including schools and universities.

In late October, Armita Geravand, a 16-year-old student, succumbed to a head injury sustained during an encounter with Tehran's hijab enforcers in echoes of the death of Mahsa Amini one year before.

Armita fell into a coma on October 1st after being stopped by enforcers in the Tehran subway. While the government has not provided clear information about the incident, it appears that a female agent pushed her, leading to a severe head injury.