TEHRAN, Iran — It was Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s last journey in Tehran. The 82-year-old symbol of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran was given a hero’s goodbye, with hundreds of thousands of Iranians accompanying his coffin many kilometers on foot. People held up images of him — some new, some old, some with President Hassan Rouhani, a few with former Reformist President Mohammad Khatami, and many with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who led the funeral prayers before Rafsanjani’s body.

The controversies and contradictions that surrounded his life were also reflected on his burial day. Everyone who turned out seemed to want to say that Rafsanjani belonged to them. Conservative and Reformist supporters clashed by shouting rival chants. It was impressive to see that several hours of tension involving young people did not turn into something far worse. Still, the opposing mourners almost shouted in each other's faces, with the identity of each side obvious from the images they raised, the clothes they wore and the slogans they yelled.

“Today is a day of mourning, our leader Khamenei, we came to soothe your pain,” shouted a group of conservatives in front of Tehran University, where the funeral prayers were being held. “Oh Hossein, Mir Hossein,” responded a group of Reformists who were referring to former presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, one of their leaders who has been under house arrest since 2011. The chants continued without interruption. Even the huge megaphone used by the organizers was unable to halt the exchange of slogans. Those who did not take part in the chanting competition watched, with some taking videos and photos with their phones and some smiling at the scene.

A young man raised high a poster with the images of Khamenei and Rafsanjani smiling at each other. Underneath the images was written “Khoda Hafez Rafiq” (Goodbye Comrade), also the title of a famous Iranian movie. “Today is a sad day for all Iranians,” the young man told Al-Monitor. “It’s not easy to imagine Iran without Hashemi. He’s a history book, a symbol, the scent of the Imam [Ruhollah] Khomeini, the close friend of the [supreme] leader. He occupies a large part of our memories. It’s not easy.” While the young man walked away, a woman watching him speak burst into tears as she embraced a poster with the words “Hashemi is alive.” She gathered her words: “He’s like a father to us. Even when there were differences, he was always working for the Revolution.” The woman, who was wearing a black chador, concluded, “The [supreme] leader is alone now. His close friend is gone, and I feel the pain for him.”