Iran is currently experiencing a form of protest that involves dancing to an upbeat folk song, which has become a viral trend. Videos of people of various ages dancing to the song and chanting its rhythm have been posted on social media, as well as shared on news channels like BBC Persian. This act of protest is meant to send a strong message, demanding freedom and happiness for the people of Iran.
Dancing in public, especially by women, and between men and women, is banned in Iran, making this act of civil disobedience particularly poignant. The roots of music, dancing, and singing run deep within Iranian culture and the attempt to suppress it from the Islamic clerics has largely failed until now.
The protest first started when a 70-year-old man danced to a folk song at a fish market, surrounded by a small group of people who then joined in. However, the local police cracked down on this protest, arresting twelve men who appeared in the video and shut down their Instagram pages.
This sparked outrage across Iran and led to an outpouring of support for the song and dance. People began filming themselves dancing to the song everywhere, with some calling it the “happiness campaign.” The dance trend spread quickly and even reached the Asia Football Confederation’s [AFC] official Farsi page, where videos of Iranian soccer stars and teams dancing to the song were posted.
The government eventually backed down from their crackdown, denying that the 70-year-old man was ever arrested and resurrecting his Instagram page. He now has close to a million followers on his Instagram page and is seen by many Iranians as a national hero who inadvertently sparked a renewed call for change.