Calla Walsh, a 22-year-old activist with a history of protests and arrests in the U.S., attended the funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday. In remarks to Iran's PressTV, Walsh, who resides in Lebanon, described Khamenei as the "greatest anti-imperialist leader" of her lifetime and a figure who stood against "imperialism, arrogance, against Zionism, against genocide."
Walsh, the daughter of a Boston University English professor and a Harvard writing teacher, had previously been active in Democratic politics. She volunteered for Senator Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign and worked on Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's campaign. She was also briefly a leader in the Democratic Socialists of America before resigning over disagreements about the organization's stance on pro-Israel interests.
Her past activism includes being arrested in 2023 for vandalizing the office of an Israeli company in New Hampshire. Walsh has also promoted the Mapping Project, which identified institutions in Massachusetts linked to the Jewish community or Israel, and has expressed views that there is no "peaceful solution" under military occupation for Palestinians.
During her attendance at Khamenei's funeral, Walsh, dressed in traditional garb and a hijab, claimed that Khamenei was a "humble" man and that his teachings, along with the Islamic Revolution, could be "especially" relevant in the U.S. She also asserted that the recent conflict with the U.S. had resulted in America's humiliation.
Khamenei was killed in airstrikes at the start of a war on February 28. Iran began a six-day funeral period for the Supreme Leader over the weekend. Walsh has become a prominent American voice supporting the Iranian regime, particularly since the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks.