Thousands of miles from the streets of Tehran, a group of Iranians gathered in Downtown Indianapolis on Wednesday for a quiet protest against the disputed election that has led to clashes between Iranian protesters and riot police.

“We’re in solidarity with the people who say you should do things by the laws that are in place not to cheat,” said Kamran Baygani, who has lived in Indiana for 33 years and has relatives in the middle of the struggle. “They’re trying to express themselves so the rest of the world can understand.”

As Baygani led a song, about 70 people gathered around candles that spelled “Iran.” Many wore green, the color associated with Mir Hossein Mousavi, the presidential candidate who many believe was the real winner of the presidential election.

The vigil, at White River State Park, was called by the Iranian Community of Indianapolis. The event came 12 days after the disputed June 12 presidential election, in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner over Mousavi.

Sparked by allegations that the election outcome was manipulated, there have been protests in Tehran, the nation’s capital, with reports that protesters have been injured or killed by riot police.

Those demonstrators have called for a new election. But Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has backed the official vote and ordered an end to the demonstrations.

At the vigil, there was talk about how the election outcome could have been changed. Some votes were cast in the United States, including in Detroit, where those who voted thought Mousavi had won. People at the vigil said relatives in small villages told them they had voted for Mousavi, learned that Ahmadinejad was declared the winner, and then went out the next day to protest.

The violence is keeping families apart. Madana Khatibi-Entezari had planned a trip back to Iran with her family but decided to call it off.

“I want to be there, but it’s hard to take the kids to that situation,” she said. “I hope God helps us. I believe in prayer.”