Word: agha
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...most dramatic protests came July 30, when thousands turned out to commemorate the death of Neda Agha-Soltan, the 26-year-old woman whose death was captured on video and seen around the world. Because the two centers of protest were at opposite ends of the sprawling capital, security forces were spread too thin and could not quell the crowds in many neighborhoods; protesters began chanting "Death to Khamenei," a phrase almost no one dared utter in previous protests. (See the top 10 protest symbols...
...opposition had scheduled the protests for July 30 to mark the 40-day anniversary - a religiously significant day in the Islamic mourning cycle - of the death of 26-year-old Neda Agha-Soltan, whose last moments were captured on video and circulated around the world. The regime has been deeply concerned about the commemoration of her death. Similar 40-day anniversaries in 1979 fueled the unrest that led to the ouster of the Shah and onset of the Islamic revolution. (Read about how the regime tried to crack down on mourners earlier on July...
...plans for the memorial ceremony had been abruptly changed by opposition organizers on Wednesday night, switching from the massive Imam Khomeini Mossala (mosque) grounds to the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery some 20 kilometers south of the city center, close to the international airport and Ayatullah Khomeini's tomb complex. Agha-Soltan's mother, who was originally slated to attend the ceremony, did not go. "For reasons I can't say, I cannot attend the ceremony of my own daughter," she told ABC News. (See "The Turbulent Aftermath of Iran's Elections...
Even without Agha-Soltan's mother, the cemetery gathering was an emotional one. Many remarked on the large number of new denizens of Behesht-e Zahra. One 27-year-old student who had buried his father just last month said he saw dozens of graves in the cemetary's newest sector - presumably, he said, of young protesters killed in the violence following the disputed June 12 presidential election. "There were green ribbons hanging by many of the graves," he said, in reference to the color used by the opposition movement. "Some were just days...
...security officers in riot gear forced Mousavi to leave before he could begin the prayer service at Agha-Soltan's grave. The Basij and Revolutionary Guards then shot off tear gas and began beating protesters with batons, witnesses said. The cemetery grounds were sealed off shortly thereafter...