Video of a street performance in Tehran went viral online, showing a crowd of young Iranians on Iranshahr street enjoying a rendition of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”
Such street performances and gatherings are increasingly common in Iran, and offer a glimpse into a complex and continuously changing society that continues to defy simplistic description. Of particular note in the video is the contrast with Islamic Republic mandates. Hijab adherence is minimal to nonexistent among the mixed gender gathering, while a woman is among the musicians performing. It is a scene one could see in many of the world’s great capitals, and for many observers - particularly those outside the country - it is a shock to see it in Iran.
Three years prior, the nation was rocked by the momentous 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, during which Iranian youth, women and their allies demanded change in the face of a brutal crackdown. Yet, Iranians’ collective will forced the Iranian government to accept new social freedoms - or at least, Iranians made enforcement of those restrictions too costly for the government to pursue. As we noted, loosened enforcement of hijab was the most enduring gain of the movement.
The Iranian government gave ground on social restrictions while continuing to stymie calls for political transformation, as advanced by many prominent political and human rights voices. Yet there has been no formal surrender from the Supreme Leader or hardliners on hijab enforcement or any other issue. Rather, the push of Iranian society against the government has seemingly led to an implicit decision - both acknowledged and resisted by various actors within the Iranian government - that to claw back enforcement of mandatory hijab and other rigid social norms would be too costly. There is precedent for this. In cases such as the law banning the use of satellite dishes, the government suspended its enforcement without officially repealing it.
Hence, some enforcement - against businesses, or actresses - continues, and some authority figures cling to the possibility of wider enforcement. However, the reality of Iranians in the street has left that possibility far behind.
Social change has been adopted unofficially, while broader political reform has been strongly denied. Whether this is a dynamic that can continue in perpetuity, particularly amid continued severe pressure on Iranian society, is uncertain. But many of us can appreciate that Iranians are living their lives as best they can, and in so doing continue to push the boundaries on rigid social restrictions.