Women in London took to the streets recently in a powerful show of solidarity with Ahoo Daryaei, an Iranian student who was arrested for stripping down to her underwear on her university campus in protest against Iran's strict dress code laws.
Two distinct protests unfolded across the city to raise awareness about Daryaei’s case, also raising concerns after she was reportedly placed in a psychiatric unit.
In one demonstration, women's activist groups One Law for All and Femen gathered at Piccadilly Circus, stripping down to their undergarments and painting their bodies with messages to highlight Daryaei's plight.
This symbolic act was meant to draw attention to her arrest and the broader issue of women's rights in Iran.
In another protest, a group of women marched through London wearing only underwear, while others donned outfits inspired by The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel and TV series that explores themes of female oppression.
To recall, Ahoo Daryaei, a young Iranian student at Tehran’s Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, gained widespread attention after a video of her walking around the university in underwear as an act of defiance went viral.
University Spokesperson Amir Mahjoob stated on social media platform X, “At the police station, it was discovered that she was suffering from severe mental stress and had a psychological disorder.”
