People light a fire during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, in Tehran, Iran, on September 21, 2022. In response, demonstrations swept much of the country, taking place in at least 40 cities. Women removed or burned their headscarves in public. Other demonstrators destroyed posters of the country’s Supreme Leader, shouting “death to the dictator.”Just like in the country’s current protests, internet access was restricted, and protesters were reportedly killed in clashes with security forces. The then-President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, said during the 2022 protests that there was a “need to distinguish between protest and disruption of public order and security,” while also describing the protests “as rioting and evil.”CNN’s Eve Brennan, Jomana Karadsheh, Artemis Moshtaghian, Caitlin Hu and Kathleen Magramo contributed to this reporting.

Source: CNN January 10, 2026 13:02 UTC