Aujourd'hui je vous propose de fouiller dans le téléphone d'une adolescente. Ne vous inquiétez pas, elle est d'accord. En fait, elle VEUT que vous regardiez.
Kimia is 16, she is a rather serious and brilliant student at a good high school in Tehran.
She has responded, from the beginning, to almost all the "invitations", to hit the streets, with several of her classmates.
Inspired by the victims of repression, high school girls - like themselves - turned revolutionary icons after their death at the hands of the regime, they show a deep and consistent admiration for them, in particular Nika (Shakarami) and Sarina (Esmailzadeh), all with the typical passion you expect from girls their age.
In fact, they sort of resemble them physically, and over the past four months, even their hairstyle and clothing have evolved accordingly.
By her own admission, Kimia first started joining the protests in secret, without telling her family, but she very quickly spoke to her mother and claims that a compromise was reached (I did not speak to her mother):
Kimia and her friends go to the meeting point, and her mother "goes shopping" in the same neighborhood, ready to pick them up by car if need be.
The messages that Kimia has in her smartphone, I have seen circulating on the Twitter accounts of young adults for a long time. As for Kimia, she has saved them in an album of screenshots, mostly from online game platforms that young people now use to communicate. Or from Whatsapp when it works.
I have chosen to show them to you, without corrections, layout or embellishments, so as to offer you a direct insight into the daily reality of our brave youth.
And I have chosen to do so today, because after several weeks of relative quiet, and despite the internet blockages which have greatly hampered the distribution of invitations, the "young people from the neighborhoods of Tehran" and other cities in Iran have again called for demonstrations today.
While I'm typing these lines, Kimia and her friends are packing their little backpacks and getting ready to take to the streets to make their voices heard and litteraly "embody" their demands.
In Kimia's phone, which she will leave on her desk before going out, are some derisory advice that young Iranians circulate tirelessly, like talismans against fear. Here they are:
Watch out guys. Tear gas canisters are hot, do not pick them up with your bare hands.
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Carry a small backback, with a change of clothes, bottles of water, a lighter, ideally cigarettes too, to justify the lighter, in case they search your belongings.
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An umbrella will be useful, against paint and to protect you from photos and videos.
Locate and avoid the police officers armed with paintball guns. They use the paint to mark you and arrest you more easily afterwards.
If you are marked, find a quiet place to change clothes but go with friends.
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Don't take your phone. If you have to, then completely log out of all your accounts and put yourself in airplane mode. If you have SOS speed dials, enable them.
Notify at least one person of your participation, so that you are sought quickly if you do not return.
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When the police attack, avoid running away as much as possible. As long as you are not targeted, walk away at an even pace, as if you were just a passerby.
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Don't wear bright colors that are too easily identifiable.
Hide tattoos and scars.
Remove visible piercings (they make you more identifiable, and you can be injured if the police pull them out when arresting you)
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If you are targeted, throw your phone away from you after activating the SOS, and shout as loud as you can to get other people's attention.
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Don't go out on a full stomach, you need to be able to run, but bring some sugar or chocolate in case you need an energy boost.
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If you wear contact lenses, remove them, tear gas at close range can blind you.
If you had eye surgery, please refrain from going out. Your health is important and the risk is too high. You can participate in some other ways.
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Do not bring an identity card, driver's license or any document that allows to identify you.
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Don't wear glasses, you will get hurt in the face if you fall. No sunglasses either.
A scarf, bandana or anti-covid mask can help hide your face..
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Avoid talking with law enforcement even in a quiet moment, if you do it will be easier for them to remember/recognize you when they attack.
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Make sure you are not heading towards closed areas where you could find yourself surrounded.
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Bring a nail clipper, or something sharp but inconspicuous (not a knife) to free yourself from the plastic ties they use as handcuffs. If you manage to keep a lighter, that works too.
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If you see someone being taken away, group up with others and rescue them.
And whatever happens, I beg you, don't go out alone. find someone to go with you
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