At massive Westwood rally, calls for 'free Iran'

Thousands chant and dance to celebrate the killing of the nation’s supreme leader.

- By MATTHEW ORMSETH

A THRONG celebrates at an Iran regime change rally in Westwood near a federal building on Sunday.

(JASON ARMOND Los Angeles Times)

Thousands gathered outside the Westwood Federal Building, celebrating the fall of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and dreaming of a “free Iran” as war continued to escalate between Iran and a united U.S. and Israel.

Residents of Los Angeles’ massive Persian diaspora on Sunday continued to revel in the news of Khamenei’s death after the U.S. and Israel launched surprise attacks across the nation Saturday.

Many at Sunday’s demonstration were draped in American, Israeli or Iranian flags, the latter emblazoned with a golden lion that represented the traditional banner abandoned when the Islamic Republic came to power. Some wore green hats that said, “Make Iran Great Again.”