A small but energetic group of Santa Barbarans gathered at the corner of Carrillo and Chapala streets Saturday to demonstrate their solidarity with Iranians who are bravely protesting what is widely considered to be a fraudulent national election. Many motorists honked horns and shouted support as they drove by.

The locals were clad in green and some sported green face paint as a symbol of support for those in the opposition party who have suffered violent oppression since the June 12 election.

Official results show Iran’s election was won by hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. His main challenger, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, says the vote was rigged and that the election should be annulled. The dispute unleashed the biggest street protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. As of Sunday, at least 25 people have died and more than 2,000 have been arrested. Several journalists and many foreign news organizations have been shut down or expelled.

Click here for more photos from the Santa Barbara demonstration.

— Robert Bernstein is a local photographer and frequent Noozhawk contributor.