Thousands of pictures of Iranian protesters killed last month were placed along the walls of a north London street, by their relatives and friends who mourn them in the UK.
More than 3,300 pictures hang on the wall surrounding a synagogue in Golders Green, stretching around the corner into the next street. Flowers and teddy bears were placed alongside them.
They show the faces and names of mostly young Iranians, some children as young as three years old, who were killed between January 8 and 9 when the authorities cracked down on a nationwide uprising.
Official Iranian government figures say that 5,000 people were killed, most of them from government forces. But human rights group say the death toll has reached the tens of thousands, most of them civilians who joined the protests.
The spirit of revolution is quashed but may not be crushed. New student protests have emerged in recent days.
Azam, an Iranian woman living in London, holds the framed photograph of a loved one who was “gunned down on January 9 in Tehran. She has come to hang it on the wall, as a show of support for the 33-year-old man’s parents, to whom she is close.
Before doing so, she lights a candle she has brought with her and says: “I light this candle in honour of young men and women of Iran who have given their lives for the freedom of Iranians today and for future generations.”
Azam tells The National that it took 12 days for the young man’s body to be returned to his family. His parents were still living in fear for their remaining son, and asked that his picture was not shown to journalists.
One visitor finds the image of a relative’s son who was killed. He tries to call the boy’s father in Iran to show it to him on video. When they are eventually connected, the call is repeatedly cut off. He accuses the Iranian government of intercepting the line.
Vahid Baghi, who lives locally and is among the commemoration wall’s organisers, says that all of the people shown on the wall are family. “Everybody here is my family,” he says, “Nobody here is alone.”
He expects more than 6,000 more images to be printed and laminated today so that they can be added to the wall. Most of the images have come from the victims' relatives who are still inside Iran. He says he would like the UK government to show its full support for the Iranian protesters who have resisted the regime and paid with their lives.
The brutal crackdown led to the threat of US air strikes, with US and Iranian diplomats meeting last week to reach an agreement over the country's nuclear programme.
The area hosted a memorial after the October 7 Hamas attacks and a collage of the people killed at the Nova music festival in southern Israel is further along the wall.
There are flags showing support for Iran’s last monarchy, whose exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi is seeking a comeback in Iran, and has emerged as the most prominent leader in the protests.
His supporters say he is the only unifying figure in Iranian politics, but critics say his family’s autocratic legacy and his brand of Iranian nationalism could divide the country.
British Iranians were coming from across the UK to see the wall, including Ali, who drove with his family from Manchester.
“I just came to see these pictures. There’s lots of young men and women, killed by the [government]. It is very sad. But that’s why we are here,” he said.
“I’m shocked and disappointed."
