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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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5

Empire State Lighting Thrills Iranian Activists

Tower green during Ahmadinejad visit—for The Wizard of Oz

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(Newser) – With Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in New York to speak at the annual opening of the UN general assembly, opponents of the Iranian regime petitioned to have the Empire State Building bathed in protesters' trademark green. The building's managers said no, but the activists got a lucky break, reports the Wall Street Journal. This week is the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz—and while Ahmadinejad is in town, the skyscraper will be lit in the color of the Emerald City.

"The universe is smiling and the stars are aligned!" wrote a blogger called Anonymous Iranian. Demonstrators in the Big Apple, who are also planning to unfurl a huge banner along the Brooklyn Bridge, are taking an expansive view of what parts of the city count as anti-regime symbols. "We consider anything that's green part of our movement," said one graduate student. "Even the Statue of Liberty is green."

The Empire State Building is illuminated in green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2008. It will be green again, coincidentally, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits this week.
The Empire State Building is illuminated in green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2008. It will be green again, coincidentally, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits this week.   (AP Photo/Don King)
The Empire State Building will be bathed in green to commemorate the release of The Wizard of Oz. For Iranian activists it's a happy coincidence.
The Empire State Building will be bathed in green to commemorate the release of The Wizard of Oz. For Iranian activists it's a happy coincidence.   (©paulaloe)
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5 comments
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Fondue
Sep 22, 09 8:57 AM CDT
Not only that but the UN building is filled with green and President Obama is wearing a spiffy green tie today. Reply
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BoZo
Sep 22, 09 10:33 AM CDT
Don't they occasionally dye the river green for st patricks day? I'm sure they could do it for mack-mood. Reply
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atomick
Sep 22, 09 11:07 AM CDT
For whatever the reason, that's pretty cool. Reply
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Wills
Sep 22, 09 12:31 PM CDT
Agreed. I hope there was some intent behind this, and it wasn't just a completely lucky coincidence.
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Newuser
Sep 26, 09 10:03 PM CDT
Iran called, they said everything is now solved because of the color green. ... FYI, for the anti-ahmadinejad out there - most of whom are without doubt anti-Islam - the color green is the color of Islam. Fact is Ahmadinejad - if he had seen the building in that color - would have been very pleased. Btw, even if Ahmadinejad had lost the elections, nothing was going to change in Iran. Rafsanjani and Khatami came and gone and nothing changed; Mousavi would have been just another khamane's favorite. Please adjust your protesting accordingly. Reply
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