Protests reach 19 cities in Iran despite internet disruption

By JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Protests have swept across at least 19 cities in Iran sparked by the death of a 22-year-old woman earlier detained by the country’s morality police. That’s according to activists and videos reviewed by The Associated Press on Wednesday. The protests over the death of Mahsa Amini have become one of the greatest challenges to Iran’s theocracy since the country’s 2009 Green Movement. Demonstrators have included oil workers, high school students and women marching without their mandatory headscarf, or hijab. NetBlocks, an advocacy group, said that Iran’s internet traffic had dropped to some 25% compared to the peak — likely a sign of government interference.