Remember that horrific video of an Iranian woman being shot to death during the post-election violence in Iran? Well, her name was Neda Agha-Soltan and today hundreds of people gathered by her grave to mourn the 40th day since her death, an important Shiite mourning tradition. The Iranian government didn’t want any services to be held for the girl, and when mourners showed up, things got out of hand. Riot police ordered Iranian opposition leader Mir Hussein Moussavi to leave the ceremony, and then two prominent filmmakers were taken to task for laying flowers by the girl’s grave. When the mourners got angry, the cops busted out wooden batons and tear gas. Iranians moved outdoors, but police were out in force there as well. The government has told people they aren’t allowed to have any formal ceremonies for this poor girl. Which makes me so crazy angry, I don’t know what to say. Let people mourn in peace! [NY Times]
