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TEHRAN, Iran - Hundreds of thousands of protesters wearing black and carrying candles filled the streets of Tehran again Thursday, joining opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi to mourn demonstrators killed in clashes over Iran's disputed election.

The massive protest openly defied orders from Iran's supreme leader, despite a government attempt to placate Mousavi and his supporters by inviting the reformist, and two other candidates who ran against hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to a meeting with the country's main electoral authority.

Many in the huge crowd carried black candles and lit them as night fell. Others wore green wristbands and carried flowers in mourning as they filed into Imam Khomenei Square, a large plaza in the heart of the capital named for the founder of the Islamic Revolution, witnesses said.

Press TV, an English-language version of Iranian state television designed for foreigners, estimated the crowd at hundreds of thousands and said the people listened to a brief address from Mousavi, who called for calm and self-restraint.

A Mousavi Web site said that the crowed exceeded 1 million.

Independent witnesses said that, based on previous demonstrations at the site, the size of the crowd appeared to be in the hundreds of thousands. Foreign news organizations are barred from reporting on Tehran's streets.

The demonstrators had marched silently until they arrived at the square, where some chanted "Death to the dictator!" one witness said. Press TV showed protesters making V-for-victory gestures and holding pictures of Mousavi and signs that say "Where's our Vote?"

A participant told The Associated Press by telephone that the rally stretched for more than three miles (5 kilometers) through downtown Tehran from the square.

Mikey wrote:Then what? Do we have the US go and install another Shah? Look how well that worked. The whole place is just fubar.

Tyyr wrote:

Mikey wrote:Then what? Do we have the US go and install another Shah? Look how well that worked. The whole place is just fubar.

...no. You let them have their own revolution all over again, or whatever they hell they think they need to do. Why in the hell would the US get involved in this?

<em>Rochey</em> wrote:Of course not. In fact, the US should just sit down, shut up, and not draw any attention to itself. The last time they started screwing around they ended up uniting the whole country against them. The country's on the verge of revolt as it is; the last thing anyone wants is to give Ahmadinejad a pile of propaganda.

Rochey wrote:Of course not. In fact, the US should just sit down, shut up, and not draw any attention to itself. The last time they started screwing around they ended up uniting the whole country against them. The country's on the verge of revolt as it is; the last thing anyone wants is to give Ahmadinejad a pile of propaganda.

USS Aeon wrote:Well this could get interesting quick....now if only this would happen in North Korea..