Atefeh Street of the Headscarf (Hijab Street)

Until dawn, I woke up several times startled from sleep. Even the sedatives didn't help me sleep through. My Instagram was full of calls to gather the next day on the Hijab Street. Around 3 PM, I walked by foot towards the meeting point.

A large crowd was already there, all shouting, "Death to the dictator... Death to the dictator…". I took out my phone to record a video; a woman came up to me and said, "For God's sake, whatever you do, be careful not to reveal any faces! They randomly arrest their children!" I was about to reply when a woman behind me beat me to it and said, "I saw her filming; she didn't capture any faces."

Then she lit a cigarette and offered it to me, saying, "Come, take a drag. They've dispersed so much tear gas; we might as well choke right here."

In the middle of the street, a girl stood on a garbage bin, twirling her scarf in the air. The crowd cheered her on. "We couldn't enjoy anything of our youth; maybe things will change for this generation," I said.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. People ran away screaming... I ran up the street in one breath; fear made it hard for me to breathe. A young girl stopped me and asked, "Were you down there?... Was it crowded?"

"Yes," I said, "but don't go there; they started shooting into the crowd!" She looked at me and replied, "I didn't come all this way to turn back!" She turned around and walked towards the crowd...

My gaze froze as she walked away.