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Neda Agha Soltan was a 26-year-old Iranian woman who attended a protest in Tehran a week ago.
YouTube videos spot her walking along a crowded street. Out of nowhere, Neda is shot in the chest near her neck and collapses to the ground. Men gather around her, trying stop the blood pouring out of her body.
Her eyes grow wide with fear, but they close. And then she's gone.
Local Iranian-Americans held a candlelight vigil Friday night in Marshall Park in memory of Neda and other protesters who have died in Iran following the disputed presidential election.
More than 200 people attended. They opened by singing Iran's national anthem followed by recorded music and poetry traditional for Persian funerals.
Neda's death sparked international outrage, but the Iranian government denies involvement in her death.
The government also took Neda's body without allowing her family to grieve or have a traditional funeral, according to news reports.
“This is her funeral,” said Mohammad Afshar, who came to the United States from Iran 30 years ago and attended Friday night's vigil. “Now, her name is the voice of the movement. Her name will be remembered for the rest of Iran's history.”
Afshar said the protests in Iran aren't so much about the contested election anymore, and that support for opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi is irrelevant. What's important now is freedom.
“Mousavi was like a ladder that helped the cause,” he said. “Mousavi is gone, but the movement is on.”
The somber mood of Friday's vigil was interrupted when a supporter of Iran's ruling party showed up with a flag.
Many in the crowds were indignant and began chanting in Farsi, “Down with Khomeini,” “Down with the Islamic Republic” and “Down with dictators.”
The person who brought the flag eventually left. Vigil leaders then called for everyone to ignore the distraction and remain focused on remembering the dead.
Shahpour Akhari, 37, came from Raleigh to show support even though he had a son sick at home. He did it because he said the one thing he really remembered from Sept. 11 was footage of people in Tehran holding a candlelight vigil for the terrorism victims.
“They were suffering in solidarity with the American people,” he said. “This is the chance for the American people to stand with the Iranian people in their time of oppression.”
Bahman Maalizadeh said he hopes President Obama will take a stronger stand in defending the people of Iran.
Maalizadeh also acknowledged the influence of Neda.
“She's become an international symbol for the democracy movement,” he said. “Now people are talking about Neda's movement.”
