Lights for Liberty Rally
Hundreds stood along Jackson Avenue to speak up against the detention camps at the southern border.
Over 700 cities, including internationally, participated in the event hosted by Lights for Liberty. And Naperville was one of them.
“Naperville has a reputation for being rather conservative, it is not that way anymore. It is more diverse than it’s ever been,” said Karen Peck, organizer of the event. “We have migrants who live in this community, immigrants. Most of us are immigrants, who are granddaughters of immigrants. And we need to speak out.”
Participants held signs like “end human detention” and “close the camps.”
The Speakers
Before the rally, speakers from organizations that advocate for immigration rights including Pastor Mark Winters came up to say a few words.
“There may be differences of opinion on what’s the best way to handle the immigration system. It’s more complicated than I’m able to figure out. But I know we’ve got to do better than what we’ve done,” said Winters.
One organization, Basic Dignities, told the public what they can do to help like buying diapers and crayons for the children being held.
“Go to our Amazon wish list and buy a few items that we can ship down and hand deliver to those people who are in such dire need and actually make a difference every single day in the lives of those people who are just being so badly treated by our U.S. government,” said Patricia Fragen, treasurer and co-founder of Basic Dignities.
Surprise Visit
Some leaders are taking action. Representatives Lauren Underwood and Bill Foster made a surprise appearance and said they just voted on sending money to the border to help improve the conditions.
The event ended with a vigil, with the crowd holding tea lights as they chanted.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.
