Hundreds of thousands fill streets of Tehran to mourn those killed after election

Witnesses say hundreds of thousands of protesters have poured into the streets of Tehran to mourn those killed in clashes over last week’s disputed election. A Web site of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who called the rally, said more than a million people turned out.

Many carried black candles and lit them as night fell. Others wore green wristbands and carried flowers as they filed into Imam Khomenei Square.

The large plaza in the heart of the capital was named for the founder of the Islamic Revolution. One witness says the marchers were silent until they arrived at
the square, where some chanted “Death to the dictator!“

Press TV, an English-language version of Iranian state television, says Mousavi briefly addressed the crowd, calling for calm and self-restraint. Foreign news organizations have been barred from reporting on Tehran’s streets.

Mousavi’s supporters allege that the election was rigged and he was the true winner, not hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.