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Woman's daring face-off with police van reignites Iran hijab debate

Footage of a police van almost running over a woman has gone viral as Iranians speak out in in support of hijab protesters and against the controversial morality police.

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Iranian women wearing hijab walk down a street in the capital Tehran, Feb. 7, 2018. — ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images

Iran's morality police once again sparked outrage this week after a video went viral, renewing debate on the controlling practice. In the footage, apparently captured Oct. 27, a female student is seen confronting a police van that drives into her and almost runs her over before it is surrounded with bystanders. The woman is said to have been protesting the arrest of a friend over her failure to observe proper hijab, an offense Iran's morality police exists to punish.

The incident took place in what looks like a parking lot outside a branch of Azad University in Tehran's northeastern Sohanak area. Despite being omnipresent in crowded and popular spots, the morality police rarely flex their muscles near university campuses.

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