Celebrating Nowruz, the Persian new year, at a time of war

"The heavy bass and synths from a loud DJ were quickly building tension, and dozens of people, most of them of Iranian descent, knew the beat drop was coming."

"The mixed reactions at the celebration exemplified the complex, bittersweet feelings many in the East Bay's Iranian community have had about the war: a sense of relief at the end of an era and a man whose rule was marked with violence."

"The celebration arrived 17 days after the U.S. and Israel began a bombing campaign against the Iranian regime that has killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei along with other senior leadership."

"Many threw their hands into the air, enveloped in a sense of community, but the next line came up, 'Thank you, Trump. Thank you, Bibi,' and most of the hands came down."

The Nowruz festival in Berkeley featured a lively atmosphere with a DJ playing music that resonated with the Iranian community. The celebration marked the arrival of spring and the new year, but was overshadowed by recent events, including the U.S. and Israel's bombing campaign against Iran. The crowd's reactions varied from joy to discomfort, reflecting complex feelings about the end of Khamenei's rule and the uncertainty of the future. The festival highlighted a bittersweet sense of relief and fear within the Iranian diaspora.

Read at oaklandside.org