SRINAGAR, July 4 (TIWN): In a shocking incident, in Srinagar, the 8th Muharram procession saw participants carrying flags of Palestine and Iran, along with posters of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrullah. Despite police warnings against displaying such symbols, the Shia community expressed solidarity with Iran and Palestine, citing an emotional connection to their struggles.

The procession, which followed a traditional route from Guru Bazar to Dalgate, was heavily guarded, with security measures in place to ensure a smooth passage. Notably, the procession had been banned from 1991 to 2023 due to terrorism concerns, but was allowed to proceed in 2023 after the LG government deemed the situation improved.

The Shia community in Srinagar views these demonstrations as a way to express solidarity with what they see as resistance against oppression. The event was closely monitored by authorities, who had issued guidelines for the procession.

The slogan-chanting protesters who were carrying the portraits of Nasrallah and Iranian spiritual and political leader Ayatollah Ruhullah Khomeini, incumbent supreme leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei and other Shia religious and political figures denounced the police action.

They also pasted posters featuring Nasrallah on the outer wall of the roadside police station, indicating a defiant response from some community members.