In recent weeks, Iran has faced renewed waves of anti-regime demonstrations, despite a brutal crackdown that reportedly left tens of thousands of unarmed protesters dead. Security forces linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militia used extreme violence in an effort to crush the unrest and reestablish control.

Scenes described by witnesses included families searching desperately for missing loved ones and body bags stacked in grim images of repression. For a time, the demonstrations appeared to subside, with many assuming fear had once again paralyzed the streets.

But in a dramatic turn, protests have reemerged in multiple cities, led in part by students and young activists. Dozens of videos circulating online show large crowds chanting against the regime and clashing with Basij enforcers. The scale and boldness of the renewed unrest suggest that, at least for some segments of Iranian society, the so-called “fear barrier” has been broken.