Reactions to the Release of a Video Showing Violent Confrontation with Teenage Girls Over Optional Dress Code; Supporters of Behdaripour Also Speak Out

The release of a video showing government agents confronting two 14-year-old girls due to their optional dress code sparked a wave of reactions among opponents of the Islamic Republic and even supporters of the government on Tuesday, August 7. The video, published by 'Ensaf News' under the title 'Statements and Claims of a Citizen Regarding the Confrontation of Agents with Teenage Girls in Tehran,' features Maryam Abbasi, the mother of one of the girls, stating that her daughter and her friend were assaulted by government agents enforcing the so-called 'Noor Plan' on July 1 in a street in Tehran. During the confrontation and arrest, one of the girls hit her head against an electrical pole, and the violence continued inside the van. According to Ms. Abbasi, her complaints and follow-ups have only yielded the result that the on-duty judge at the military prosecutor's office allowed her to obtain the video footage from the area's surveillance cameras, but after that, she received no further responses to her complaints and requests. In reaction to the actions of the government agents, several users opposing the Islamic Republic on social media referred to the 'Noor Plan' as a 'plan of darkness' and emphasized the need to overcome this darkness. Meanwhile, some reformist users and supporters of Masoud Behdaripour also opposed the 'Noor Plan' and demanded accountability from the President of the Fourteenth Government regarding this issue. Ali Sharifi-Zarachi, a professor at Sharif University of Technology who was expelled for supporting students during the protests of 2022 but strongly supported Behdaripour in the 2024 government elections, wrote in a post on X: 'Stop the oppression of girls. The Noor Plan is darkness.' Ali Mojtahedzadeh, a lawyer, posted on X: 'Mr. Behdaripour, you promised not to remain silent in the face of such illegal and un-Islamic actions against our children, and if you cannot put an end to this mess, you should give up your worthless power. We are counting on your word.' Masoud Behdaripour, who is now appointed as the President of the Fourteenth Government, had said during his competition with five other candidates selected by the Guardian Council to succeed Raisi: 'I guarantee that the entire government will stand against compulsory patrols, filtering, and external pressures in all meetings and at all costs.' He also wrote in a post on the filtered social media platform X: 'The Noor Plan is leading our society towards darkness. For 40 years, they have tried to correct the hijab situation through interventions; they should ask themselves if it has gotten worse.' These promises from Masoud Behdaripour and the demands of his supporters come at a time when the pressures from Islamic Republic officials on women and the suppression of their right to optional dress code intensified in 2024, starting from April 14, following Ali Khamenei's order for the plan called 'Noor.' Meanwhile, on August 1, Behdaripour once again openly emphasized the necessity of continuing the implementation of Ali Khamenei's policies during his inauguration ceremony.