Online data puts doubt on Iran’s estimate of the number of protestors who marched to Mahsa Amini’s burial and the intensity of policing during the protests.
Wednesday marked forty days of protests in Iran, with demonstrators making it plain that their demands for change are as strong as ever.
Anger over the murder of at least one protester led to attacks on public facilities on Thursday as tensions continued.
In response to the death of 35-year-old Ismaeil Mauludi, demonstrators attempted to storm into government offices in Mahabad. The Norwegian human rights organization Hengaw asserts that he was slain by security personnel during Wednesday’s protests.
In the film posted by Hengaw, protesters can be seen breaking the surrounding fence before dispersing under a hail of gunfire.
Even though municipal offices have previously been targeted during these rallies, it is unusual to witness demonstrations escalate in this manner on film.
It follows nationwide protests that occurred on Wednesday.
Early in the day, citizens of the Kurdish city of Saqqez took to the streets.
It was the birthplace and final resting place of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old woman whose death prompted the nationwide upheaval.
Huge crowds traveled to Mahsa’s grave to commemorate 40 days since her death, an important milestone for Iranians as it signifies the conclusion of the traditional mourning period.
The Iranian military attempted to deter people from gathering near her burial, although state-affiliated news outlets denied that a significant security presence had been established in the vicinity.
Nonetheless, social media videos show otherwise.
At the beginning of the video, there are at least seven police officers equipped with protective gear and anti-riot shields.
It appears to have been filmed towards the western end of Madar Boulevard, which is adjacent to one of the main roads heading to the Aichi cemetery, where many demonstrators were headed.
A larger group wearing identical uniforms appears to be assembled at the intersection, but the video cuts out before we can see them.
Other images uploaded online depict security personnel assembling the previous evening in Mydane Dayk Square, at the other end of Madar Boulevard.
Despite their efforts, several Iranians arrived.
According to Iranian-backed media claims, 8,000 individuals marched to the grave. Approximately 35,000 men and women from adjacent towns and cities were present, according to anti-government sources.
It is impossible to report on the ground in Iran, but one online tool can provide an estimate of the number of persons traveling on the major road from Saqqez to the cemetery (2.85 miles).
One video recorded from a bridge approximately halfway between the Saqqez city gate and the cemetery shows a 360-degree perspective of the gathering.
We made an image by piecing together stills from the video to form a panoramic. This helps provide a snapshot perspective of the crowd walking back towards the city on either side of the bridge. It displays around 825 meters of the road.
Using this view, we can identify several important landmarks, such as a row of pylons along a ground trough and where the road turns around a grassy margin.
Then, we put these important landmarks on the map provided by mapchecker.com, a service that estimates crowd sizes.
People in this image are standing close together, but not shoulder to shoulder. There are also gaps and vehicles present. Using a site-provided guide, we estimate that there are 1,7 individuals per square meter in the crowd.
According to Mapchecker.com, the crowd observed in the photo consists of 14,535.
As we cannot see beyond what is captured on video, the actual number of demonstrators is likely significantly higher.
The funeral protest seemed to have been peaceful, but emotions increased when the march returned to the city.
A Wednesday afternoon video captures the scene in Mydane Dayk Square.
Smoke billows from a police bunker that demonstrators appear to have set on fire.
As demonstrators observe, another fire can be seen burning in the square itself.
It is unclear exactly what is happening in this movie because it is tough to distinguish between the several groupings. However, the sound of firearms being fired is audible at least once, indicating the presence of security troops.
Another online video depicts the chaos on the ground in Mydane Dayk Square.
On day 40, protests occurred around the country, especially in Tehran, Sanandaj, Gorgan, and Isfahan.
