More than 200 people gathered at an anti-hate vigil in Naperville last night.
The group met at the free speech pavilion on the Riverwalk to show solidarity with Charlottesville after a “Unite the Right” march and protest Saturday ended in violence and one death.
Vigil attendees say they want to make sure hate and bigotry are not condoned in our town.
“I think silence is violence,” said vigil organizer, Anne Stava-Murray. “When we’re hearing, not just hearing but seeing white supremacists show their faces in the street, lighting torches, inciting violence, encouraging violence, encouraging genocide, then we cannot be silent.”
Some lawmakers spoke out at the event as well.
Republican State Representative David Olsen says it’s important to remember the issue is not limited to Charlottesville.
“After seeing some of the acts of domestic terrorism over the weekend, we have got to stand together,” said Olsen. “We have to be not divided along racial lines, along ethnic lines, along party lines. This is a human issue.”
The event was hosted by several Naperville organizations including Naperville Women’s March Action, Naper Gals and Indivisible Naperville.
Naperville News 17’s Beth Bria reports.
