Khamenei's Opposition to Disrupting Speech Sessions

Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, stated on Monday, May 24, during a ceremony that he opposes "creating noise and uproar" in speech sessions and disrupting them. According to the official website of Ayatollah Khamenei, while addressing graduates of Imam Hussein University affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, he expressed: "Sometimes some individuals and young people, who may be righteous and faithful, create noise and uproar due to their opposition to a person or a speech session, disrupting that assembly, while I have never supported such actions, which are of no benefit, and I believe that the benefit lies in clarification and correct and intelligent work." He added that "of course, sometimes some individuals do these wrong actions out of ulterior motives and then pretend that it is the work of Hezbollah elements and the faithful, so one must be completely vigilant." These remarks by Ayatollah Khamenei come at a time when disrupting ceremonies and speeches of political figures in Iran is frequently carried out by groups known as "pressure groups." For instance, on December 21 of last year, the speech of Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari, a reformist figure close to Mohammad Khatami, at Yazd University was disrupted by the "attack" of one of the attendees towards the speaker's podium, and Mr. Mousavi Lari was directed outside, but along the way, "a group rushed towards him." Previously, in June of last year, following protest slogans from some attendees at the memorial ceremony for Ayatollah Khomeini, President Hassan Rouhani's speech was disrupted. Meanwhile, speeches by Ali Motahari, a representative from Tehran, have also faced disruptions or even cancellations multiple times, leading to instances of physical assault against him. Ali Motahari is among those who protest against the house arrest of the leaders of the Green Movement. In this context, there were "harsh slogans against Ali Larijani" during mourning ceremonies at the Leader's house, and a letter was sent to the head of the judiciary to deal with "creating tension" in speeches. Tension occurred during Rouhani's speech at the memorial ceremony for Ayatollah Khomeini's death anniversary, and Rouhani ordered the prosecution of those responsible for the attack on Motahari in Shiraz.