Forty days of protest in Iran passed on Wednesday, with protesters making it clear that their demands for change are stronger than ever.
Tensions continued on Thursday, with anger over the death of at least one protester leading to attacks on government buildings.
In Mahabad, the death of Ismaeil Mauludi, 35, sparked chaos as protesters tried to break into government offices. Norway-based human rights group Hengaw said he was killed by security forces during protests on Wednesday.
Protesters can be seen breaching the perimeter fence before dispersing in a hail of gunfire in this footage shared by Hengaw.
If town halls have already been targeted during these demonstrations, it is rare to see demonstrations escalate in this way on video.
It follows mass protests across the country on Wednesday.
The Kurdish town of Saqqez saw people take to the streets early in the day.
It was the birthplace and now resting place of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old woman whose death sparked the unrest that swept the country.
Huge crowds descended on Mahsa’s grave to mark 40 days since her death, a milestone for Iranians as it marks the end of the traditional mourning period.
Iranian forces tried to dissuade people from gathering at his grave, but state-affiliated reports denied that a large security presence had been assembled in the area.
However, videos posted on social media suggest otherwise.
The first part of the clip shows at least seven police officers dressed in protective gear and carrying riot shields.
It appears to have been filmed at the western end of Madar Boulevard, which is located next to one of the main roads leading to the Aichi Cemetery where many protesters were heading.
A larger group wearing the same uniforms appears to be gathered at the crossroads itself, but the video cuts out before we have a clear view.
Other images shared online show security forces gathered in Mydane Dayk Square, at the other end of Madar Boulevard, the previous evening.
Despite their efforts, thousands of Iranians came.
According to Iranian-backed media, 8,000 people marched to the cemetery. Figures provided by anti-government sources were much higher, indicating that some 35,000 men and women from nearby towns attended.
Reporting on the ground in Iran is difficult, but an online tool can provide an indication of the number of people traveling on the 2.85-mile main road from Saqqez to the cemetery.
Video filmed from a bridge almost halfway between the entrance to Saqqez town and the cemetery offers a 360-degree view of the crowds.
We created a panorama by stitching together still images from the video to give us an image. This helps establish an instant view of the crowd on either side of the bridge as they march towards town. It shows about 825m of road.
Using this image, we can identify some key markers, such as a row of pylons along a dip in the ground and where the road curves around a grassy shoulder.
We then plotted these key markers on the map provided by mapchecker.com, a tool that provides an estimate of crowd sizes.
The people in this snapshot are close together, but not standing side by side. There are also gaps and a few cars. Using a guide provided by the site, we estimate the crowd is standing at 1.7 people per square meter.
Mapchecker.com estimates the crowd visible in the snapshot to be 14,535 strong.
The dark yellow area shows where the crowd was gathered in the video. Photo: mapchecking.com
As we cannot see past what is captured in the video, it is likely that the actual number of protesters is much higher.
The protest at the funeral appeared to have remained calm, but tensions increased as the march returned to the city.
Video recorded Wednesday afternoon shows the scene in Mydane Dayk Square.
Smoke billows from a police shelter which appears to have been set on fire by protesters.
Another fire can be seen burning in the square itself, as protesters look on.
It’s unclear exactly what’s going on in this video because it’s hard to tell who the different groups are. However, the sound of gunfire can be heard at least once, indicating that security forces are present.
Another clip uploaded shows the chaotic scene on the grounds of Mydane Dayk Square.
The 40th day protests took place across the country, including in the capital Tehran, Sanandaj, Gorgan and Isfahan.
The Data and forensics The team is a versatile unit dedicated to delivering transparent Sky News journalism. We collect, analyze and visualize data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite imagery, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling, we aim to better explain the world while showing how our journalism is done.
