Hundreds Gather on Waltham Common For Vigil Against Hate

Courtesy photo: Waltham Boys & Girls Club, with Mayor Jeannette McCarthy via Facebook

Over five hundred people gathered on the Waltham Common on Tuesday night for a "Vigil Against Hate," organized by Waltham Concerned Citizens.

The gathering was organized as a response to the deadly protests this weekend in Virginia, where white nationalists protested the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue by the town in a "Unite the Right" rally. A car plowed into a group of counterprotesters on Saturday afternoon, killing 32-year-old paralegal Heather Heyer, and injuring nineteen others.

Kelly Damm, a candidate for Ward 4 in Waltham was at the vigil on Monday night, and told Patch, "Tonight, Waltham residents stood proudly in solidarity with those opposing racism, hatred and bigotry. I am inspired, energized and thankful to be part of this amazing community of people."

Activists held signs calling for peace and an end to hatred and racism. Jennifer Rose, a local member and organizer, said "We gathered in a circle and people read short readings from Martin Luther King, Jr., Hannah Arendt, Maya Angelou, Thurgood Marshall and others on the topic of hate, love, justice and more. It was very inspiring."

Courtesy photo by Michele Kosboth of her son Cooper

Ward 9 Councilman Robert Logan told Patch, "It was very uplifting, after the horrible news out of Charlottesville, to be surrounded by hundreds of Walthamites gathered in peace to reject bigotry, racism, and hate." When asked about what Waltham residents can do to combat bigotry, Logan said, "Just keep speaking up and forcefully reject the messages being sent by these hate groups."

The congregations of Christ Church Episcopal, St. Peter's Ugandan Anglican Church, and Chaplains on the Way are hosting a prayer service against racism on Wednesday August 16th at 7:00p.m.