Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff will be the keynote speaker at a “silent scream” candlelight vigil outside the Vancouver Art Gallery tonight.
The vigil is the final of 10 that have been held outside the gallery since June 15. They have attracted thousands of people demonstrating in solidarity with those killed during protests in Iran.
Yesterday afternoon, more than 200 students, many holding candles and wearing black clothing with green armbands, held a vigil at Simon Fraser University for students killed in Iran.
“We’re doing this for the eight students,” said Siavash Rokni, an SFU communication student. “One minute for each student.”
The Students In Black vigil, held at noon in Freedom Square at SFU’s Burnaby campus, included a moment of silence for the slain students, including Neda Agha Soltan.
Neda, a philosophy student, was shot and killed during a protest Saturday in Tehran. A video of her death has been broadcast online and on TV.
Setareh, a University of Victoria political science student who did not want to give her last name, said the vigil was aimed at raising awareness about the “human rights violations and the brutal violence and suppression of the people.”
“We’re trying to change public opinion about what is happening,” she said.
