Tehran Security Forces Beat Halloween Partygoers

Several people were detained and beaten in central Tehran on Friday after security forces broke up a Halloween celebration, witnesses told Iran International. The crackdown occurred despite warnings from the Islamic regime against public festivities and dress code violations.

The event took place after Iranians defied restrictions for a week by wearing costumes and gathering in public spaces. Online videos show young people dispersing in front of the Basij, a paramilitary force, near Tehran's Artists Park. A witness described the scene as chaotic, noting that officers ran after attendees and shouted for them to disperse.

"It was like the protests. They were running after people and shouting, 'Disperse!'", the witness said. Families were ordered to flee during the incident.

Footage from the event shows women leaving their hair uncovered and exposing parts of their legs. This action defied the strict dress code enforced by the state. The celebrations happened while the government renewed its crackdown on mandatory hijab laws and redeployed morality police across the country.

Western advocates have used the footage to argue that repression in Iran is a form of propaganda. However, many Iranians stress that the festivities occurred despite the regime's rules, not because the government is becoming more lenient. Nazanin Nour, an Iranian-American actress and writer, wrote online that the people of Iran push boundaries at their own risk because repression is codified into law. She noted that the boundaries are not being eased by the regime.

The legal advocacy network Dadbaan warned earlier this week that new restrictions were imposed on Halloween in several cities. This led cultural centers to cancel planned events. Isfahan's Isal Cafe and the Madam and Monsieur Mansion issued cancellation notices. Staff at the Madam and Monsieur Mansion cited compliance with the law and Islamic proprieties as their reason.

The Cultural Heritage Department in Aran va Bidgol also prohibited the celebrations. They cited the need to preserve Islamic and Iranian values. Dadbaan emphasized that no law in Iran prohibits the sale of Halloween goods, the holding of celebrations, or the use of themed decorations in restaurants and cafes.

The Islamic Republic has a history of cracking down on gothic and alternative subcultures, often labeling them satanic. Before recent wars with Israel and the crackdown on January's protests, shops selling clothing with unconventional logos faced threats of closure. During the January protests, tens of thousands of people were reportedly killed by regime security forces.

Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Strategic Studies, told The Jerusalem Post that Halloween has grown in size this year. He described the holiday as a kind of cultural protest. Sabti said that listening to music in the streets and going without hijab are forms of individual protest. "They don't even know if they want to be in a huge protest. So everyone protests individually," he said.

Sabti noted that this year's costumes were more daring than in previous years. Participants wore masks and gothic outfits instead of the cat and mouse costumes seen before.