“The fall of Bashar al-Assad didn’t only raise the hopes of the opposition but also raised the spirits of the Iranian nation,” said the activist from the eastern Iran.

The streets have largely been quiet since 2023, when the government violently put down a nationwide uprising sparked by the death in police custody of a young Kurdish woman, who was allegedly detained for violating the country’s dress code for women. But women have continued to challenge the mandatory hijab, which remains a symbol for many of deeper frustrations over state repression.

Last week, singer Parastoo Ahmadi streamed a video on social media that showed her performing without a headscarf. “I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right that I could not ignore,” she wrote in a message to her fans. The concert received hundreds of thousands of views online in a matter of hours. On Saturday, she was briefly arrested, her lawyer said, but has not been informed of the charges against her.