Sit-In Over Suspended Hijab Bill Ends Following National Security Council Directive

Tehran’s police announced that a 40-day “illegal sit-in” outside the Parliament (Islamic Consultative Assembly) ended after the National Security Council issued a directive and the police intervened. The protest was triggered by the government’s decision to suspend the “Hijab and Chastity Bill,” which had already passed Parliament and been approved by the Guardian Council but was ultimately blocked by the National Security Council. The demonstrators—linked to hardliner factions supporting mandatory hijab—demanded the bill’s full enforcement.

Their anger also stemmed from statements by Masoud Pezeshkian, who openly opposed enforcing mandatory hijab and declared he “would not implement it,” and by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Parliament, who confirmed the National Security Council had stopped the hijab law. According to a police statement, around 30 individuals continued to stage the sit-in despite repeated warnings to avoid traffic disruption and allegedly resorted to insults and aggressive behavior. Authorities also rejected a viral video that appeared to show an officer assaulting a protester, claiming the individual had self-inflicted injuries in an effort to manipulate public opinion.

Police footage shows a woman with a bloodied face speaking to an officer, who can be heard saying: “We respected you for 43 days; now you hurt your own face and blame my officer?” Another clip captures a protester knocking down an officer’s loudspeaker. Reports indicate the parliamentary security police mainly dispersed the sit-in.

In one video, a man criticizes Ghalibaf for dissolving the pro-hijab protest, questioning the purpose of the Revolution if women’s hijab is not enforced. Meanwhile, some legislators, such as Hamid Rasaee, have condemned the forced dispersal as “foolish or influenced,” though they admit that protesting directly outside Parliament may not be the best way to demand legal changes.

The governor of Tehran had previously labeled the gathering unauthorized, and other officials—such as a political adviser to Ghalibaf—later confirmed it had ended and deemed it unlawful. While the Hijab and Chastity Bill garnered support from hardliner groups, officials feared that enacting it could provoke public unrest, which ultimately led the National Security Council to suspend its implementation.