Revealed: The true story of the ‘horsemen of the Ayatollah’ who rode to defend pro-Iranian supporters in Manchester – sparking claims of a ‘sharia police patrol’: IAN GALLAGHER
Revealed: The true story of the ‘horsemen of the Ayatollah’ who rode to defend pro-Iranian supporters in Manchester – sparking claims of a ‘sharia police patrol’: IAN GALLAGHER
Two imposing figures on horseback unexpectedly emerged in Manchester’s city center last month, drawing stunned reactions from bystanders. Clad in peaked caps and what seemed to be a uniform, the riders appeared abruptly, prompting one observer to liken them to “a peculiar militia.” Their presence, marked by confident strides through the streets, suggested an unspoken mission, as if conducting a patrol.
On the evening of March 4, a candlelit gathering near the Manchester Islamic Centre on Sidney Street honored Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had been killed in the US-Israeli assault on Tehran. The vigil, attended by mourners waving the Iranian flag and Palestinian colors, set the stage for tension. As the atmosphere grew heated, the arrival of the two horsemen intensified the scene. Police, stationed on foot, struggled to manage the situation, with the riders stationed firmly in the pro-Ayatollah group, outnumbered but resolute.
“They were protecting their own and trying to scare off people,” a witness noted. “Anti-regime protesters kept asking who they were, but the riders didn’t respond. They just sat tall on their horses, watching silently.”
The debate over the riders’ purpose quickly spread globally, amplified by social media. Footage of the horses, while widely shared, left more questions than answers. Among the inquiries: Who were these individuals? Where did they originate? Had they actually galloped through the city center, bypassing police as they pursued rival demonstrators? And were they part of an informal “sharia police” unit, monitoring behavior in line with Islamic traditions?
The Daily Mail uncovered that one of the riders is a 35-year-old engineering lecturer. He explained he didn’t support the Ayatollah but was acting as a mediator that night. The man, a British-born Pakistani Muslim, owns both horses—Khyber and Lionheart—and keeps them stabled 20 miles from the city. He had attended the vigil because friends were present, describing it as a somber occasion. “I wanted to show respect,” he said, “but I didn’t anticipate a protest breaking out.”
Claiming the horses were there to deter troublemakers, he argued that their presence was a calming measure. Yet his explanation for bringing them to the city—that they needed training for traffic—felt less convincing. He denied accusations of a sharia police unit, stating, “The video shows us moving toward them, but I wasn’t chasing anyone. I just wanted to remind people this wasn’t the right place for conflict.”
Despite calls from anti-regime protesters for the police to intervene, officers allowed the riders to continue their activity. This decision sparked frustration, with one demonstrator confronting an officer: “They should be arrested, they’ve been riding around chasing people. Why aren’t they being taken down?” The officer replied he couldn’t “pull someone off a horse,” to which the protester retorted, “If they had a Union Jack, they’d be off the horse.”
Ultimately, the police managed to keep tensions low, preventing further clashes. The night concluded without arrests, though the horsemen’s role remained a point of contention. The vigil, organized by the Muslim Community and promoted by the Friends of the Manchester Islamic Centre, had sparked a unique moment of cultural and political symbolism in the city’s bustling heart.
