An anonymous artist colored water fountains in Tehran red on Friday in reference to the bloody crackdown on three weeks of protests that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini. This 22-year-old Iranian Kurd died on September 16, three days after her arrest in Tehran by the morality police for violating the strict dress code imposing in particular on women to wear the veil in the Islamic Republic.
Anger over his death has sparked the largest protests in nearly three years in Iran. Despite the crackdown, which left dozens dead, and the arrest of hundreds, the protests continued, according to online videos authenticated by AFP.
92 protesters killed
The images of several blood-red fountains, located in the center of Tehran, were shared online by the media 1500tasvir, which lists human rights violations. Activists on Twitter described the red fountains as a “work of art” dubbed “Tehran covered in blood” and said they were designed by an anonymous artist.
Photos posted by the BBC’s Persian Instagram account show that the water in the pools was later cleaned, although traces of red are still visible in them. According to the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR), at least 92 protesters have been killed in the crackdown, which has been accompanied by restrictions on internet access, including blocking of Instagram and WhatsApp.
“Death to the Dictator”
In a video published online Thursday and authenticated by AFP, a group of women sing “death to the dictator” in Racht, in the north. Other images show women shouting “Azadi” (“freedom” in Persian) and clapping loudly as they walk down a street in Quds, west of Tehran.
Amnesty International says it has confirmed 52 cases of people killed by security forces, but estimates that “the real number is much higher”. In a statement released a week ago, the NGO says Iran has deliberately used lethal force to suppress protests led by women.
Amnesty says it has obtained a document for commanders of the armed forces of all provinces issued on September 21, ordering them to “respond firmly” to protesters.