Many people in the West are surprised when they see huge crowds at official state events in Iran. That’s understandable—it’s easy to assume every person there showed up out of genuine support.
But the reality is often more complicated.
Some images circulating online have been accused of being digitally edited or enhanced, so it’s worth being cautious about drawing conclusions from a single still photo.
As for the crowds themselves, not everyone is necessarily there for the same reason. Government employees, members of state-affiliated organizations, and others with ties to the system have, at times, reportedly faced strong pressure to attend official events. Others may come because free meals, drinks, or other assistance are provided—something that can matter a great deal during difficult economic times.
In other words, counting heads is not the same as measuring public opinion.
People living in stable democracies often assume a large crowd automatically reflects popular support. In authoritarian systems, attendance can be influenced by pressure, incentives, or necessity. That’s why crowd size alone is a poor measure of what people actually believe.
2026-07-09 15:47:59
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Capricorn :
i was there , huge crowd, terrific sensation , many people could not come closer to main stream even early morning even from 3 crossing far from main stream , what you see was just main street , all crossing streets were full of people down to 2 or 3 crossing, huge population gathering , millions and millions
2026-07-09 17:07:44
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هادی شیردلی :
این قدرت خدا و اهل بیت هست و تمام
2026-07-09 18:48:20
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user9565816325458 :
Me too, I am your age and I remember that day like it was yesterday, the day that JFK was killed.
2026-07-09 19:01:19
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Moe Vesa :
👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏
2026-07-09 18:44:55
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fd.mashhadi :
Ther wasn't any obligation to attend the funeral ceremony. It is an objection of Iranian for killig of people including to Supreme leader by linternational criminals.
2026-07-09 16:32:45
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