Police Use Tear Gas to Disperse Protesters Mourning Khamenei’s Killing in IIOJK
IIOJK: Police fired tear gas shells to disperse crowds protesting the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as strict precautionary restrictions remained in force across all districts of the Kashmir Valley on the second day of demonstrations.
The protests, which intensified following confirmation of the 86-year-old leader’s death in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike on February 28, saw large gatherings in Srinagar and other Shia-majority areas including Bemina, Budgam, Bandipora, Anantnag, Pulwama, and Magam. Demonstrators carried portraits of Khamenei, waved black flags, recited marsiya laments, and chanted anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans in expressions of grief and solidarity with Iran.
Authorities imposed tight controls to avert escalation, including sealing sensitive zones like Lal Chowk, restricting public movement, closing schools for at least two days, throttling mobile internet speeds, and deploying heavy contingents of police and paramilitary CRPF forces.
In Srinagar, particularly near Bemina Degree College, police resorted to tear gas after some protesters attempted to march or defied restrictions, with reports from local sources indicating the action followed attempts to push forward. Officials described the response as necessary to maintain order, though no widespread reports of lathi charges emerged on Monday. Earlier accounts from Sunday’s largely peaceful mourning processions noted heavy security but limited force.
The strong response in Kashmir reflects deep religious and emotional ties within the region’s Shia community, estimated at around 1.5 million, to Iran’s supreme leadership. Comparable mourning and protests occurred in parts of Pakistan, Lucknow in India, and other South Asian locations, though on a smaller scale.
Khamenei’s death has fueled regional uncertainty, with Iran vowing retaliation under a temporary leadership council as succession questions persist amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign.
