Mount Pleasant community members held a vigil Sunday night to stand in solidarity with anti-racist protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The vigil was one of many held across the country to show solidarity for protesters injured and killed after a car was driven into their midst on Saturday.
Community members gathered outside of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan. The church organized the event after community members asked for a gathering via a facebook post.
Dawn Daniels is a Minister for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan, where they event was held. She said it’s important to gather people together.
“If those of us who stand against hate don’t stand up, don’t say so out loud what are we doing. What are we here for?”
Leslie Sauter is a resident of Mount Pleasant who attended the vigil.
“As a parent of a transgendered person and a person who is concerned for the respect and rights of all people I think it is important for us to stand up and show in loving and respectful ways we need to grow in our tolerance of others.”
Jim Dealing is a Mount Pleasant resident who was intendance at the vigil. He said as a former CMU History Professor he is not surprised by white supremacist marches.
“This kind of white supremacy is not new in this country, there is a long tradition of it. But as someone pointed out on the TV tonight now people don’t even feel they need to put a hood on their heads. They don’t need to hide.”
Dealing said it is important for people to stand up against demonstrations of hatred every time they occur.
Roughly 50 community members were in attendance.