Protesters in Tehran marked Al-Quds day by setting ablaze flags of the United States and Israel. A large crowd assembled in the Iranian capital, proudly waving Iranian flags and applauding speeches delivered by influential clerics.
The gathering was part of the annual commemoration in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, featuring processions and patriotic festivities. Videos captured the scene within Iran, showing thousands of demonstrators in the streets burning American and Israeli flags while chanting anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans.
The Al-Quds day march, established by revolutionary leader Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, occurs on the final Friday of Ramadan and is observed globally by pro-Palestine advocates. Khomeini initiated the event as a worldwide plea for Muslim unity in support of Palestinians and against Israeli dominance in Jerusalem.
In the UK, authorities have prohibited a planned pro-Palestinian Al-Quds day march in London on Sunday to avert potential public disturbances. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood sanctioned the ban at the request of London’s Metropolitan Police, making it the first demonstration prohibition in London in over ten years.
The decision to halt the march followed criticisms of the event’s perceived alignment with the Iranian government. Ms. Mahmood justified the ban as a precautionary measure to prevent significant public disorder amidst the scale of the protest and anticipated counter-protests amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. She emphasized the enforcement of strict conditions if a stationary demonstration were to proceed.
The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), the protest’s organizer, has previously asserted the peaceful and good-natured nature of the demonstration. This marks the first instance of a protest march being prohibited since 2012.
