A video on social media shows government security forces in Iran clashing with and detaining a male motorcyclist who was giving a ride to a woman without hijab.
The video shows how law enforcement personnel confiscate a motorcycle from the man, while citizens attempt to thwart their efforts.
In response to the video, a social media user remarked, "It seems like you radical extremists have decided to engage in a full-scale civil war with the great Iranian nation. Be aware that you will face heavy consequences for this, so brace yourselves for the steep toll you will pay."
These events unfold less than a month prior to the anniversary of the tragic killing of Mahsa Amini by hijab police last September, as the regime takes up measures to forestall nationwide anti-regime protests.
In recent months, an increasing number of Iranian women have taken to riding motorbikes on the streets and highways, following the Woman, Life, Freedom protest movement that erupted in September 2022. Riding motorcycles, along with ditching the hijab, has become a courageous act emblematic of the civil rights struggle by women.
Prior to the 1979 revolution that ushered in the Islamic regime in Iran, women were permitted to ride motorcycles. However, in the subsequent years, along with forced hijab, riding motorcycles and even bicycles became restricted.
Nonetheless, numerous Iranian lawyers and activists contend that since Iranian women are permitted to ride motorcycles as passengers, there is no rationale for barring them from being drivers.