Protests Erupt in Parts of J&K Over Khamenei’s Killing, US-Israeli Aggression
Srinagar: Thousands of people attended protests and demonstrations in parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakha on Sunday (March 1) against the killing of Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an attack by Israel and the US.
J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah also expressed “deep concern” over the killing of Khamenei while Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has called for a shutdown on Monday against the “ongoing aggression against Iran”.
In view of the massive outpouring of grief, security has been increased in parts of Kashmir and the J&K government has ordered the closure of the educational institutions for two days, while all the exams scheduled for Monday and Tuesday have been postponed.
Some smartphone users in Kashmir on Sunday afternoon complained of restricted access to mobile internet. However, no such order has been publicly issued by the authorities so far.
Witnesses said that the historic Lal Chowk in the summer capital Srinagar was flooded by demonstrators since Sunday morning after the news of Khamenei's killing in an airstrike last night was confirmed by the Iranian state media.
Protests in J&K over killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israel strike. Photo: Ubaid Mukhtar.
A pall of gloom descended on the city centre as teary-eyed demonstrators including women and children, most of them Shia Muslims, gathered near the clock tower and shouted slogans in favour of Khamenei and against US and Israel.
Invoking the battle of Karbala, the demonstrators waved life-sized posters of Khamenei, former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the national flags of Iran and Palestine and some religious and black flags while shouting slogans against the US and Israel.
“Aik se badhkar ek zaleel (one worse than the other),” shouted a leader of the demonstrators who responded in unison with “Amrika aur Izrael” (America and Israel).
“Khamenei tere khoon se (Khamenei, your murder will)," he continued, and the demonstrators responded with “inquilab aayega” (usher in a revolution).
Protests in J&K over killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israel strike. Photo: Ubaid Mukhtar.
Many men and women had come from different parts of Kashmir to participate in the demonstration at the city centre and some of them could be seen weeping uncontrollably and embracing each other in mourning for those killed in the US-Israeli attack on Khamenei’s office compound in downtown Tehran.
“My aga (supreme leader), may my life be sacrificed in your honour,” cried Zainab Mukhtar, a protester in Lal Chowk while another woman, who could not be immediately identified, tried to console her.
Some demonstrators later marched to the office of the United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan located in Sonawar locality to register their protest.
“Khamenei valued Islam more than Iran because of which he was assassinated. If they think they have stopped Muslims (by assassinating Khamenei) from opposing their policies, they are mistaken. His martyrdom will produce a Khamenei in every Muslim household,” said Syed Mujtaba, another protester.
The demonstration was going on in Lal Chowk and its adjoining areas when this report was filed.
Protests in J&K over killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israel strike. Photo: Ubaid Mukhtar.
Protests against the killing of Khamenei also broke out in the Shia-majority areas of north and central Kashmir on Sunday.
Some politicians and prominent Shia clerics of Kashmir also joined the demonstrators in Lal Chowk. Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian, a prominent body of Shia Muslims in J&K, has announced a 40-day mourning in honour of Iran’s fallen Supreme leader.
“Khamenei and Iran have been fighting solo with the modern day tyrants without any support from the Arab and other Muslim countries including Pakistan. He chose martyrdom over surrender. His name will be remembered by generations to come,” said Firdous Hussain, a protester in the Shalteng area on the outskirts of Srinagar.
A 32-second video on social media showed a group of demonstrators running over police barricades near the historic Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar while shouting slogans in favour of Khamenei and Iran.
Some reports suggest that police charged a group of anti-Israel and anti-US demonstrators in the city. However, no official confirmation of the police action has emerged.
Protests against the killing of Khamenei also broke out in the Shia-majority areas of north and central Kashmir including Baramulla, Pulwama and other districts.
A massive demonstration was also carried out in Kargil district of Ladakh on Sunday against Khamenei’s killing.
Meanwhile, chief minister Abdullah has urged the authorities to “ensure that those who are mourning in Jammu and Kashmir are allowed to grieve peacefully”.
Protests in J&K over killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israel strike. Photo: Ubaid Mukhtar.
“The police and administration should exercise utmost restraint and refrain from using force or restrictive measures. The Government of Jammu & Kashmir is in close coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, to ensure the safety and well-being of J&K residents, including students, currently in Iran,” he said in a post on X.
The police administration in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is under the direct control of lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha.
Mirwaiz said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir condemn the ‘brutality and the ongoing aggression against Iran, as well as the massacre of innocent girl students in Minab”.
At least 148 persons, most of them adolescent girl students, are believed to have been killed in Minab, a city in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran, in a US-Israel strike in the early hours of Israeli-US strikes, sending shockwaves across the world.
“In this hour of immense sorrow, our hearts beat with the resilient people of Iran. May Allah grant strength to the oppressed, elevate the martyrs, and bring swift justice to those responsible for this,” Mirwaiz said.
“This is a moment for the Ummah to rise above divisions and stand united and register our protest and solidarity against this killing and the continued aggression in the region. Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulama (MMU) has called for a complete strike tomorrow. We urge the people to observe it with unity, dignity, and complete peacefulness," he added.
This article went live on March first, two thousand twenty six, at forty-five minutes past three in the afternoon.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
