As Iran's crackdown on protests enters violent new phase, casualties surge
Lethal force was used against mourners at funerals, women were tear-gassed at a crowded subway station, and more than two months of unrest in Iran appeared far from fizzling out.
Nearly 30 people were killed in less than 48 hours as Iranian cities witnessed a flare-up of anti-government protests, which have rocked the nation since mid-September when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in the custody of religious police.
Thursday’s violence was markedly widespread in the western Kurdish city of Boukan. According to footage and reporting by activists and media outlets, protesters who had gathered for the funeral of a 37-year-old identified as Mohammad Hassanzadeh came under attack by security forces.
“Women, life, freedom,” mourners chanted, cheering the victim’s father who in a speech praised Iranian women’s zeal and bravery. Women’s rights and defiance of Iran’s contentious hijab laws have played a central role in the protest movement, which has morphed into a wider push for the overthrow of the ruling establishment.
Hours into the funeral, the city plunged into chaos with government forces opening fire and protesters storming the town hall and two other government buildings. At least one protester was reported to have been killed by live ammunition.
