The 'Full' and 'Empty' Squares of Rouhani and Raisi

In recent days, as Hassan Rouhani and Ebrahim Raisi traveled to various cities in Iran, a heated debate has emerged on social media comparing the number of participants at their events. Both sides are attempting to show they have larger crowds by sharing photos from specific locations. Many social media users have shared images comparing the crowd sizes at Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan during the receptions for Hassan Rouhani and Ebrahim Raisi. However, supporters of Ebrahim Raisi claim that Rouhani's supporters have manipulated photos from his 2017 reception using Photoshop. On the other hand, Rouhani's supporters assert that the real image of public attendance at Naqsh-e Jahan Square during Rouhani's speech is depicted in the shared images. Rouhani's supporters also argue that Raisi's supporters were organized and transported by coordinated buses, suggesting that the attendees did not spontaneously gather at these meetings. Social media users have noted that organized buses were used to transport attendees to Raisi's supporters' events at Mosalla in Tehran. Some social media accounts have also revealed images of directives from various organizations instructing employees to participate in electoral events. Raisi's supporters deny these claims. Nonetheless, Hassan Rouhani, in one of his speeches, advised against gathering people by bus. As the travels of the two main candidates for the upcoming election continue, numerous images of their supporters are being shared on social media, each contradicting the other.