❓WHAT HAPPENED: Protesters held a vigil in Manchester, England, to mourn Iran’s slain Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and fought with anti-regime counter-protesters.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Up to 100 demonstrators, including students from Manchester University’s Ahlul-Bayt Islamic societies, and 300 to 400 counter-protesters.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The vigil took place on Wednesday night in Manchester.
💬KEY QUOTE: “You can kill a man, but you can’t kill an ideology,” the Ayatollah’s supporters.
🎯IMPACT: The vigil clash highlights the influence of Islamism on British campuses and the country’s increasing social fractures as it becomes more diverse.
Protesters gathered in Manchester, England, to mourn Iran’s slain Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, on Wednesday night, and clashed with counter-protesters. The event, organized by students from Manchester University’s Ahlul-Bayt Islamic societies, included demonstrators burning images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Counter-protesters celebrated Khamenei’s death in the ongoing U.S.-Israeli “Epic Fury” operation and displayed pictures of U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
Signs at the vigil expressed sentiments like “You can kill a man, but you can’t kill an ideology.” Another sign read: “My enemies have the support of each other to kill me, O Heart warming love … I have only your support, loyal to Ayatollah Khamenei.”
🚨 BREAKING: Iranians showed up to an Islamic center in Manchester UK waving DONALD TRUMP PORTRAITS as the location held a “silent vigil” for Ayatollah Khamenei
And having a full-on PARTY while doing it 🤣
That’s how you do it! TRUMP IS LOVED! 🇺🇸🇮🇷pic.twitter.com/IWdSbXOnAg
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 5, 2026
The incident raises concerns about the spread of Islamism on British university campuses and the increasing ethno-religious fractures in British society, especially following the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas. Research by the Community Security Trust (CST) suggests attacks on Jews in Britain have increased exponentially since October 7, with hundreds of abusive incidents recorded.
The University of Manchester’s AbSoc plans further commemorative events for Khamenei and his regime, with one set for Friday intended to “remember the martyrs of the recent strikes”.
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