Italian Taekwondo Team joins protest in support of Iranian women

On Friday, the Italian Taekwondo team released a video cutting their hair to show they stand in solidarity with Iranian women. The video was taken in a way to show support and share in the protests by women around the world following the death of Mahsa Amini who died while in custody of the Iranian “morality police.”

After each of the four women, Maristella Smiraglia, Paulina Armeria, Sarah Al Halwani and Natalia D’Angelo cut sections of their hair, they stand together and Smiraglia speaks. The message says, “A support to all women in Iran and in the world who are suffering a strong repression, who are fighting hard to live a life as normal as possible as we live it,” Smiraglia says in the video. “Don’t turn off this voice! Together for women’s freedom.”

Amini died on September 16 after being arrested by the “morality police’' for wearing her hijab incorrectly. Her death has garnered attention around the world since no one has taken responsibility. Those who are suspected to be responsible have continuously denied any involvement claiming the 22-year-old had a heart attack, and was not beaten into a coma as a skull fracture suggests.

Since Amini’s death, protesters have rallied around the world. Muslim women are removing their hijabs in public and cutting their hair in an act of defiance against Iran’s harsh control of women. It is predicted by an Iran Human Rights group that at least 234 people, including 29 children, have been killed during the protests by Iranian special forces.

The crackdown on the Iranian protests has sparked the protests to go international and now the women of the Italian Taekwondo team have joined in with the hope that the Iranian women can share in the same freedoms they live with every day. The video message signs off powerfully saying, “Women, life, freedom” which has been the anthem adopted by protesters.