A large gathering of people paraded outside of Sheffield’s City Hall on Sunday after the death of Iranian’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Following joint US – Israeli attacks on Iran on Saturday night, Khamenei was killed in his office at the age of 86.
Khamenei’s death sees the end of a nearly four decade tenure of supreme rule during which he oversaw a rule that wielded complete control over the state and military.
Demonstrators celebrated the death of the leader in Sheffield city centre, with crowds of people waving the Iranian flag, as well as US and Israeli flags, while singing cultural songs.
A participant said: “The Iranian people have been hostages of the Islamic revolution for 47 years. We have been protesting for 47 years. But today is different. Today we are celebrating his death.”
The establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has existed since 1979, saw an end to the monarchical rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Since then, the Republic has enforced Islamic codes of dress and behaviour onto the public, as well as conservative societal values.
Khamenei was the 2nd leader of the Islamic Republic and his rule generated an outcry of controversy. The suppression of dissent within the country saw the imprisonment and death of numerous people.
Wishing to remain anonymous, a demonstrator said: “They have killed over 40,000 people. It doesn’t matter whether you are from Sheffield, London or Iran, we all have the same feeling to share.”
Also commenting on the unity of Iranians, one participant commented: “I was born in Sheffield, but my family, my aunts, uncles and grandparents, everyone knows someone who has been affected or killed by protests.
“They send people out every night to wash blood off the streets because they are shooting live ammunition into the crowd. They are just tired. They want freedom of speech.”
He added: “Khamenei’s death brings a massive sense of hope that things can get better.”
An atmosphere of angst also shrouded the demonstration. When asked about the future of Iran, a participant said: “I don’t know. To be honest, we just want freedom like other countries. We want everyone to be free.”
The death of the Ayatollah leaves a power vacuum within the Iranian political leadership.
While one participant hoped that the monarchy would return, many are simply wishing for peace within their country.
