Reactions to 'Clashes Between Law Enforcement and Supporters of Mandatory Hijab'; Criticism of Discrimination in Handling Protest Gatherings

Clashes between law enforcement and supporters of mandatory hijab, known as 'Ummah of Hezbollah', in front of the Presidential Office in Tehran have sparked various reactions, even in domestic media. The daily Ham-Mihan, in a report on this matter, examines the lack of impartiality among authorities in dealing with recent protest gatherings in Tehran and critiques the discrepancies in handling this protest against hijab regulations compared to other similar gatherings. The report's author notes that this gathering lacked official permission and emphasizes that if there were impartiality in handling protests, the organizers of this gathering should have been treated like other unauthorized gatherings. However, these individuals, who have a history of participating in similar gatherings in Qom and Tehran, disrupted public order without permission and attacked the police. The Ham-Mihan report further addresses questions such as why, despite these individuals attacking the police, they are not treated similarly to other protesters. Why can they injure police officers and create unrest in society with complete immunity? Ultimately, who is behind them that allows them to act so boldly? The report's author concludes by calling for decisive and impartial action from the judiciary regarding this issue. A principlist newspaper also noted on March 14 that if the situation continues into the new year, 'we should expect even more unpleasant events.' The Farhikhtegan newspaper, affiliated with Azad University, emphasized that a video obtained by the newspaper shows law enforcement clashing with individuals protesting the 'state of hijablessness' on Pasteur Street. This newspaper believes that there are forces at play that 'benefit from the confrontation between the clergy and the people, the religious community against the police, and ultimately from the conflict among the people.' According to the author of this newspaper, this alarming situation, which 'ultimately defines the people against the people,' is detrimental both to various segments of society and to the state of hijab. The history of the Islamic Republic's handling of peaceful protests has been varied and multifaceted. In some cases, these protests (if organized by regime supporters) have faced little or limited intervention, while in other cases, they have been met with violence and repression. Article 27 of the Islamic Republic's Constitution explicitly emphasizes the freedom to 'form gatherings and marches, without carrying weapons.' However, in practice, and looking at the history of protests in Iran, this principle has always been overlooked. Even supporters of the Islamic Republic are concerned about the economic crisis, while the government is focused on mandatory hijab enforcement.