Music and dancing signify defiance at celebratory funerals of Iran’s protesters

Funerals for Iranians killed in recent protests are deviating from traditional somber ceremonies, transforming into displays of defiance against the ruling regime. Bereaved families are holding celebratory events with pop music and dancing, rejecting the theocracy's demand for piety. These funerals, often staged after families pay to retrieve bodies and sometimes coerced into false statements about the deceased's affiliation, serve as a political message of resistance. The shift from grief to joy, as seen in social media footage of women without head coverings dancing, aims to honor the lives of the deceased and challenge the government's crackdown on protesters. Estimates suggest tens of thousands were killed in the demonstrations that began in late December.

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