A masked speaker at a March 7 vigil in New York City honoring Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared full solidarity with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Islamic Revolution, praising Iran for targeting US forces and bases.
The event, organized by the Bronx Anti-War Coalition, featured chants urging Iran’s missiles to respond to US drones in the sky. Wearing a keffiyeh, the speaker said the gathering was meant to honor what he described as the “martyrdom” of Khamenei, IRGC General Qasem Soleimani, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. He praised the Iranian people as “heroes” and claimed they were “destroying the Zionist entity and US airbases and US soldiers.”
The Bronx Anti-War Coalition, which also operates under the name Iran Solidarity on social media, is led by activist Ché Marino, who appears to be the speaker in the video. Marino has identified himself publicly as a public-school teacher in the Bronx. The organization has previously organized rallies supporting Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah.
Marino has also praised Elias Rodriguez, the perpetrator of the May 2025 Capital Jewish Museum shooting in which two Israeli Embassy staff members were killed, and has called for similar actions.