Hundreds Gather to Protest Foreign Attacks

The sense of liberation is also tied to the end of a suffocating social and cultural climate. For the youth of Iran, especially the generation that led the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, the Supreme Leader personified an antiquated and repressive morality enforced through fear. The constant threat of the morality police, the censorship of the internet, and the stifling of artistic and personal expression were all anchored in his personal decrees. With his death, there is a palpable feeling that the heavy veil of ideological conformity has been lifted. While the future remains uncertain, the initial joy reflects the psychological relief of no longer being ruled by a man whose vision for the country required the constant suppression of its people’s modern aspirations and basic human rights.