Previously popular ‘woman, life, freedom’ slogan ignored as son of former shah becomes focus of desperation for change
As the nightly protests that recently gripped Iran got under way, familiar shouts of “death to the dictator” and “death to [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei”, Iran’s most powerful cleric and political figure, filled the air in Karaj, a city 30 miles to the west of Tehran.
But when female participants tried to add another recent popular rallying cry, “woman, life, freedom”, the slogan found few takers – despite having proved an inspirational call to solidarity in demonstrations that swept the country in 2022 after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for allegedly flouting Islamic dress codes.
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