Partial Internet Return Reveals Scale of Violence During Iran Protests

Internet access was partially restored in Iran after a blackout that lasted for two weeks during widespread protests against the government. The return of limited connectivity has allowed thousands of videos to emerge online, offering a clearer and more troubling picture of the violence used by authorities to suppress the demonstrations.

As footage began circulating, evidence of the scale of the crackdown quickly became visible. Videos from different parts of the country show crowds confronted by security forces, chaotic scenes in the streets, and bodies carried away after live ammunition was reportedly used. These images have helped document both the geographic spread of the protests and the number of people believed to have been killed.

According to reports highlighted by FRANCE twenty four journalist Ershad Alijani, the newly surfaced material suggests that the death toll may be significantly higher than official figures acknowledge. The images provide rare insight into events that were largely hidden from the outside world while the blackout was in place.

The blackout itself had been widely criticized by human rights groups, who said it was designed to prevent protesters from organizing and to stop information from reaching the international community. With partial access restored, Iranians have rushed to share videos and testimonies, using social media platforms to document what they describe as severe and systematic violence by the authorities.

While the government maintains that it acted to restore order, the footage has intensified calls for accountability and independent investigations. Human rights organizations say the videos could play a crucial role in future efforts to establish responsibility for killings and other abuses committed during the unrest.

Viewers should be aware that some of the images circulating from Iran are deeply disturbing. Together, they form a stark record of a moment when digital silence briefly shielded violence from view, and how even limited access to the internet can expose the reality on the ground.