by InTrieste
On a recent Saturday evening, a small group of Iranian expatriates gathered in Piazza Ponterosso, one of the most recognizable squares in the historic center of Trieste. Their gathering combined speeches, music and dancing — but it was also marked by a striking theme: a celebration organized in response to reports surrounding the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
About sixty people attended, most of them young and many believed to be students living in the northeastern Italian port city. Some participants wore face masks, saying they feared being identified. Around them, others waved the flags of the United States and Israel while calling for the end of the Islamic Republic and the return of Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last monarch, as part of a broader transition toward democracy.
At one point during the gathering, participants lifted a cardboard box meant to symbolize a coffin representing Mr. Khamenei. Beneath it, several attendees formed a circle and danced while music played from portable speakers.
“We are happy, and we thank the United States and Israel for the help they are giving us,” several participants said during the event. “Thanks to them we will finally have a freer country.”
Despite the celebratory tone of the gathering, many also spoke about anxiety for relatives in Iran, where the conflict continues. Some attendees said they had been unable to contact their families for several days.
“We are worried about what is happening,” one young woman said. “But we believe the strikes are targeting government sites, not ordinary people.”
Many of those present expressed cautious optimism about the future, saying they believed the political system in Iran could soon change.
Photos from the gathering were provided by the Italian photographer Massimo.
