Hundreds of Iranian-Americans take to the streets of NYC to celebrate U.S.-led attacks
Hundreds of Iranian-Americans marched in New York City on Sunday to celebrate the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The demonstration followed a massive weekend U.S.-Israel joint attack on the Middle Eastern nation, which also killed 40 of the supreme leader's top officials.
Protesters in Iran on the minds of many
NYU student Foujan Gharib said he came to the U.S. in 2023 and remembers being hit by rubber bullets during the Iranian protests for Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody in Iran.
"I was crying and dancing the whole day yesterday after 50 days of torture. They killed so many innocent lives," Gharib said. "We would cover our faces because we are fearing for our lives. My friends and classmates being taken away right in front of my eyes."
While celebrating Khamenei's death, demonstrators carried the old Persian flag, as well as the American and Israeli flags, and honored the protesters killed in Iran.
"We are honoring all the people that were murdered by the Ayatollah regime 50 days ago and also celebrating the death of the Ayatollah," Manhattan resident Fariborz Aghili said.
Shadi Hosseini said she was only 2 when she fled to U.S. with her family after the 1979 the Islamic revolution. Her family is still in Iran and part of the oppressed Bahai faith.
"The people of Iran have been suffering, all of us. There is not one person outside of Iran that doesn't have family member or acquaintance they know that have been slaughtered," Hosseini said.
"We want our brothers and sisters in Iran to have [the] same rights we have"
The march was organized by the Lion and Sun group, which wants exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi to go back to Iran and form a transitional government until the Iranian people can determine their own fate.
"We want our brothers and sisters in Iran to have [the] same rights we have," one demonstrator said.
They said they know those rights come with a price. So far, three American service members have been killed.
"It hurts. With all my heart I feel bad for them, but they are our heroes," said Riag Javid, head of the Persian American Parade.
"Thank you, USA. Thank you so much. You were the one, President Trump. You were the one who backed us," Iranian-American Shawn Azzeam said.