'If I Don't Respond to Calls...': Iranian Women's Fight Told Through SOS Texts

Read the SOS messages sent by Iranian women protesters on WhatsApp and Telegram, before they lost internet access.

(Photo: The Quint)

(This article was originally published on 19 November 2022. It has been reposted from The Quint's archives after Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi was awarded 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the oppression of women.)

“If I don’t respond to your calls, understand that our internet has been shut off,” an Iranian woman, who is one of the protesters, typed an urgent message via WhatsApp.

“I hope this is not the last time you’re hearing my voice,” another told The Quint, via the instant messaging platform.

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, who was detained by the police for not wearing the hijab appropriately, has catalysed a wave of protests across the country against a government that perhaps fears nothing more than a popular uprising.

On 21 September, the Iranian government put a blanket ban on social media, making it difficult for protesters, who are predominantly women, to communicate with the rest of the world about the brutality of the Riot Police.

A day before the social media ban, on 20 September, hundreds of protesters gathered at Tehran's Keshavarz Boulevard – chanting 'Death to Khamenei' – and verbally attacking Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

"The police shot at us. They used tear gas and chased us on motorcycles. They shot me with rubber bullets and beat me with batons," Nergis, a protester, told The Quint. Visuals of these protests were uploaded on social media platforms, giving a glimpse into what was transpiring in Iran.

Around 9 pm the next day, messages stopped going through, videos were not getting uploaded, calls were disconnected, and pictures were not downloading anymore. With that, WhatsApp groups in Iran began buzzing with rumours that the regime was shutting off the internet across the capital Tehran, in an attempt to contain the protests.

Some sent out SOS messages and requested journalists to record their testimonies before they lost access to the internet. The Quint has accessed some of the urgent messages.

"A day will come when you (the regime) will be crushed under the hands and feet of this nation. The people of this country are very strong," one of the messages to this journalist read.

"Just wanted to let you know that I have reached home safe. But please, please convince other journalists to focus on what is happening here," another message read.