Tens of thousands of people come out to bid their final farewell to Raisi

Massive crowds gather in Tehran for the funeral of Iran's late President Ebrahim Raisi, a divisive figure known for brutal crackdowns but loyalty from hardliners. Authorities warn against protests disrupting the somber proceedings.

Iranians gather en masse to mourn the former President of the country Ebrahim Raisi Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Tehran to bid farewell to the late Iranian statesman. Raisi died Sunday in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border that also claimed the lives of Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six other individuals.

The grieving process started on Wednesday morning with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leading people in prayers in Tehran. The coffins will then be carried into Azadi Square draped in Iran’s colors for the climax.

Police have called on individuals not to obstruct the funeral procession following some disparaging remarks on social media regarding the late president. Posters with slogans such as “Welcome martyr of service!” and “Servant of the disadvantaged” have been placed in different parts of Tehran.

Some of the people claimed that they had been receiving text messages from the government informing them about some ceremonies. The scenes show streets crowded with people, many of them with Iranian flags and posters of Raisi.

Some presidents are likely to feature but the list of participants has not been made public. After the Tehran services, Raisi’s body will be taken to Mashhad for burial on Thursday after the prayers at the Imam Reza shrine.

His main competitor, the hardline Raisi, was not popular among the people, as he was a prosecutor in the 1980s who oversaw the execution of activists. Recently, he has violently quelled protests over the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police.

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However, his ultra-conservative policies helped him to garner support among the regime's hard-liners who believed he was the rightful successor to Khamenei. Iran says it is mourning the death of its president for the next five days.