Thousands gathered in Tehran on May 20 to mourn the death of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the other victims who were killed in a helicopter crash.

Tehran, Iran - May 20, 2024

Storyline:
Iranian people rallied in the capital city of Tehran on Monday to mourn the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other victims killed in a helicopter crash in the country's mountainous northwestern region on Sunday.

Thousands of people gathered at a square in the center of Tehran where the event took place. Many people held portraits of Raisi and some wept.

"Raisi was a very popular president. He cared for the people and worked for the people. Besides the Iranian people, he also cared about the interests of the people in the region," said Javad, another mourner.

In addition, many people at the scene said that despite the tragic death of Raisi, the development of the country will not be disrupted and people will unite and continue to move forward to contribute to the progress of Iran.

Shotlist:
Tehran, Iran - May 20, 2024:
1. Rally in progress;
2. Picture of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi;
3. Various of man weeping;
4. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Ahmed, Iranian citizen (full name not given):
"I have been here since yesterday afternoon and I haven't slept since. I had been praying last night, hoping to hear news that the president is alive. When we learned this morning that he died in the accident, my world fell apart."
5. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Javad, Iranian citizen (full name not given):
"Raisi was a very popular president. He cared for the people and worked for the people. Besides the Iranian people, he also cared about the interests of the people in the region."
6. Various of people at rally;
7. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Mohammadi, Iranian citizen (full name not given):
"I hope that a new president in the future will be chosen from among the capable so that some of the people's concerns could be addressed. The future is bright and we will overcome this crisis. There will be no problems."
8. Various of people at rally.

[Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV]