Protesters in support of the Iranian regime and its late Supreme Leader torched an Israeli flag and chanted 'death to the IDF' at a vigil in Birmingham last night.
Dozens of activists assembled in the city to condemn the US-Israeli strikes on the country and mourn the passing of former ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Video footage showed the small crowd chanting 'death to the IDF' and 'bomb Tel Aviv', as well as burning the Israeli flag and holding pictures of Khamenei.
West Midlands Police told the Daily Mail it has launched an investigation into possible racially/religiously aggravated public order offences. The vigil at the Imam Reza Cultural Centre saw attendees hold signs in support of the regime and wave Iranian flags. It was attended by convicted terrorist Shahid Butt, 60, who is standing in the May local elections in the Sparkhill area of the city.
Butt was convicted of terrorism in Yemen in 1999 after plotting bomb attacks on Western targets including the British consulate in Aden, an Anglican church, and a Swiss-owned hotel. He was jailed for five years. Controversial lawyer Akhmed Yakoob, who previously stood as a candidate for the West Midlands mayoral election, was also at the vigil.
Anti-regime protesters turned up during the event, prompting clashes between the two sides, with police breaking up scuffles. Khamenei, and his wider Islamic regime, are believed to have killed countless dissenters in Iran, including thousands during recent protests against the leader in the country in January.
On Wednesday a similar vigil took place in Manchester with police again involved after some 800 people turned up in support of and against the regime. Described as 'honouring the ayatollah', who was killed in strikes on Iran on Saturday, attendees burned pictures of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Members of Ahlul-Bayt Islamic societies (AbSocs), which are student-led groups affiliated with the Shia sect of Islam in Iran, reportedly joined Wednesday's vigil. Various branches including in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Leeds have publicly mourned the death of Khamenei on social media. The protests come after it was confirmed Khamenei had been killed following the launch of US-Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday.
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