Iranian women took to TikTok this week to protest last week’s killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini by posting videos of themselves shaving their heads, cutting their hair and burning hijabs.
In one video that sparked more than 7,000 comments, a woman wearing a hijab uses makeup to portray the brutality Tehran police used on Amini.
In another video that has amassed 930,000 views, a woman can be seen cutting up her black headscarf with a pair of scissors. The caption under the video says: "Today exactly two years ago I started wearing hijab, today I cut my hair for #mahsaamini." The woman explained that she did not want to cut her hair on camera for "religious reasons," but filmed herself cutting the headscarf "to spread the message."
@dj.angelx Morality police arrest Mahsa Amini-now the 22-year-old is dead over hijab law❤️#stopkillingwoman #foryou #fyp ♬ Tourner Dans Le Vide - Indila
Killing of Mahsa Amini
Amini was on a visit to Tehran with her family when she was detained by police, according to reports. She subsequently died after the encounter, having fallen into a coma. The arrest reportedly was a response to Amini incorrectly wearing a hijab – a head covering that is mandatory for women in Iran.
Tehran police allegedly said Amino’s arrest was for “justification and education" about the hijab, and told her family she died of a "sudden" heart attack, although her family has stated she has no known heart conditions and witnesses claim to have seen police beating her.
Beyond TikTok, escalating protests have spread around Iran, with women burning hijabs in street bonfires.