Feminists in France take to streets to support rallies in Iran

A fortnight following Mahsa Amini’s death in Iran, several French feminist groups demonstrated this week in Paris in support of Iranian women and called on President Emmanuel Macron to take a stand.   

Protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Amini, who was arrested by Iran’s morality police for a "badly worn" headscarf, have spiralled into the biggest show of opposition to Iran's clerical authorities since 2019 – fuelling calls for more support from feminist groups and politicians abroad. In France, several women’s rights groups posted a statement on social media calling for rallies in support of Iranian women, per France 24.

"Internet access has been limited in Iran, so we have a role to play in relaying the messages of Iranian men and women here and amplifying their actions," said Fabienne El-Khoury, the spokeswoman for feminist group Osez le Féminisme, which co-organised a protest in Paris on Friday. The group’s Instagram page has been sharing videos of Iranian women dancing and throwing their veils into a fire.  

"When we protest here [in France], we do not fear for our lives. We salute the courage of Iranian women who are playing their part by taking to the streets and continuing to unveil themselves publicly to call for equality and social justice in a country where women's bodies are controlled by the state," El-Khoury added.   

Iran’s Islamic Republic forces women to cover their bodies and hair in public. They are not allowed to wear tight trousers or jeans with holes in them either. Dancing in public or in the presence of men is also forbidden, as is singing, unless their voices are used as backing vocals in traditional orchestras or for male singers.