Elderly woman's 'bloody' protest in Iran goes viral: 'Not afraid, been dead for 47 years'

The woman protestor is seen bleeding from her mouth as she marches through the streets of Tehran. (Courtesy: X | @AlinejadMasih)

• Nationwide anti-government protests spread across Iran over economic hardships
• Elderly woman defies regime, shouts "Been dead for 47 years"
• President Pezeshkian calls for restraint, dialogue, and non-violence from security.

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Iran is witnessing one of its difficult periods of turmoil in recent years, with large-scale anti-government protests spreading rapidly across the country. As the nationwide protests continues for the second week, the video of an elderly Iranian woman with a bloodied face has gone viral.

The woman, defying the Islamic regime, is heard shouting, "I'm not afraid. I've been dead for 47 years" during protests in Borujerd, Lorestan province of western Iran. The protestor is referring to the period since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.

The nighttime protest footage from Tehran was shared by Iranian activist and journalist Masih Alinejad. She said it reflects the exhaustion of people who have lived under the Islamic Republic since its establishment in 1979.

"I'm not afraid. I've been dead for 47 years," Alinejad wrote, quoting the woman protestor in the video.

"This is the voice of a woman in Iran who is fed up with the Islamic Republic. Forty-seven years ago, the Islamic Republic took our rights and turned a nation into hostages. Today people have nothing left to lose. They rise. Iran is rising," the activist-journalist wrote.

I’m not afraid. I’ve been dead for 47 years this is the voice of a woman in Iran who is fed up with the Islamic republic. 47 years ago, the Islamic Republic took our rights and turned a nation into hostages. Today people have nothing left to lose, they rise. Iran is rising. pic.twitter.com/GAawmynE0C

— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) January 8, 2026

Demonstrations that began in Iran over rising prices and a collapsing currency have spread across multiple provinces, exposing deep economic and political fault lines.

The protests were triggered on December 28 after merchants shut Tehran’s Grand Bazaar to protest inflation and the sharp fall of the rial. Since then, rallies and clashes have been reported across western and central Iran, according to rights groups and online monitors.

According to witnesses, residents across Tehran stormed the streets and shouted from their homes late Thursday after Iran's exiled crown prince called for a mass protest, signalling a fresh escalation in demonstrations that have since spread nationwide. Internet and telephone services were shut down shortly after the unrest began.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for “utmost restraint,” urging security forces to avoid violence and coercion. "Any violent or coercive behaviour should be avoided," he said, calling for dialogue and engagement with protesters demanding relief from rising living costs.