Peaceful protests in Germany

Hamburg/Berlin/München (dpa) – Following the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, thousands of people in a number of German cities have been demonstrating for a change in political leadership in Teheran. The police described the protests 

in cities including Hamburg, Berlin and Munich as peaceful. The largest demonstration took place in Hamburg, with some 5,500 people marching through the city centre, according to the police. Around 1,800 people took part in a demonstration in Berlin. Television pictures show demonstrations with music, dancing and chanting, and the same is described in reports from various media outlets. 

On Saturday morning, Israel and the USA had launched coordinated missile attacks on targets in Iran. The Israeli army later reported that Khamenei had been killed in the attack. In response to the military strike, Teheran attacked a number of US military bases in the Gulf Region. 

Reactions from members of the Iranian diaspora in Germany vary. While some think of the military attacks as an opportunity for achieving political change, others have been expressing concern regarding a further escalation and consequences for the civilian population. 

Khamenei had ruled the Islamic Republic since 1989, shaping the country’s political system for decades. Over the past several months, the leaders in Teheran had been taking violent action against protesters in their own country.