Timeline of the 2009 Iranian election protests Karroubi sent a request to the Iranian Interior Ministry to hold a memorial service in Tehran to commemorate the end of the 40-day mourning cycle on 30 July for the people who died on 20 June during the protests, including Neda Agha Soltan. A video was brought out of Iran showing many protestors rallied outside of the Russian Embassy and started chanting "Death to Russia" after hearing reports that Russia welcomed Ahmadinejad's victory and was reportedly assisting Riot Police and the IRGC. Several other protests were held outside of embassies of countries that welcomed the results. A spokesman for Ayatollah
Social impact of YouTube spurred protests and related anti-American violence internationally despite official condemnation of the video by U.S. government officials. A cellphone camera video showing the 2009 death of Iranian student Neda Agha-Soltan during the 2009–10 Iranian election protests received a George Polk Award in journalism, the first bestowed to an anonymous work. The video became a symbol of the Iranian opposition movement, the Polk Award's curator saying that the video "became such an important news element in and of itself". The award panel said it wanted to acknowledge the role of ordinary citizens, especially in scenarios in which professional reporters are restricted.