Srinagar, March 1 — Thousands of Shia Muslims staged protests across Indian-administered Kashmir on Sunday, mourning the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and denouncing the United States and Israel.
The largest gathering was held at Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar, where protesters carrying red, black and yellow flags marched through the city centre. Demonstrators raised anti-US and anti-Israel slogans during what remained an emotionally charged but largely peaceful assembly, witnesses said.
“This day we are all very heavy-hearted. We are mourning our beloved leader who was martyred,” Syed Towfeeq, 40, told AFP at the protest site.
“We all have a message for Trump … We will always stand against your oppression. If you think that you have martyred our beloved leader, you are in an illusion … You cannot oppress while we, the sons of Khamenei, are alive,” he said, referring to US President Donald Trump.
Similar demonstrations were reported in other parts of Kashmir with sizeable Shia populations. Small gatherings were also held in pockets of India where Shia communities reside, participants said.
Community leaders described the protests as spontaneous expressions of grief and solidarity following reports that Khamenei was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Authorities maintained a security presence in parts of Srinagar but there were no immediate reports of major clashes or detentions.
The demonstrations come amid rising tensions in the region as the fallout from Khamenei’s killing reverberates beyond Iran’s borders.