news-record.com

GREENSBORO — As the sun set over western Greensboro Friday evening, more than 50 people lined the sidewalks in front of Guilford College to be silent voices for the Iranian people.

They waved the Iranian flag, held up slogan-laden posterboards in support of democracy and called for an end to the bloodshed.

They were there for Neda Agha Soltan, the 27-year-old woman who has become the tragic face of Iran’s unrest. She was killed protesting presidential election results in the streets of Tehran.

Her death was caught on video and has become widespread on the Internet.

“There are a bunch more Nedas,” said Mina, a 49-year-old real estate agent from Winston-Salem.

“(My family) can’t walk in groups of three together because they are afraid (the government) will come and arrest them,” she said.

Mina, like all those who spoke to the media at the vigil, wouldn’t give her last name because of concern for the safety of family members overseas.

The vigil, sponsored by the Persian Cultural Center, joined Iranian-born residents and descendants with other area residents in support of peace in Iran.

That country has been hit by weeks of violence against protesters, who say that there was fraud in the country’s June 12 presidential election.

The vigil also was meant to draw attention to the Iranian government’s censorship of news coverage of the violence, participants said.

Much of the coverage has come from amateur videos from residents and through the social messaging Web site Twitter.

“We are all hoping for democracy in Iran,” said Jahan, the man who organized the event for the Persian Cultural Center. “They tried to silence freedom by killing an innocent like Neda, but now she has become a symbol for millions worldwide of the innocent struggle for freedom.”

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com