Local group Indivisible Golden Triangle will hold a unity vigil at Mississippi State University today.
The vigil is in honor of the victims of the Charlottesville, Virginia, protest Saturday, in which demonstrators protesting the removal of Confederate statues clashed with counter-protesters. Three people died during the protest, including one woman who was killed when a vehicle drove into a group of counter-protesters.
“We want to show that the city of Starkville, Oktibbeha County and Mississippi State University stand as one community united in love against hate,” vigil spokesperson Patti Drapala said in a press release from Indivisible Golden Triangle.
The vigil will begin at 7:30 p.m. Organizers have asked participants to gather in front of the Leo Seal fieldhouse in the Junction and to bring flashlights or use smartphone apps to provide light. Candles will not be allowed.
Speakers at the vigil will include Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill, former State Representative Tyrone Ellis, University Baptist Church Pastor Bert Montgomery, civil rights activist Dorothy Jean Isaac and MSU professors Jason Ward and Seth Oppenheimer.
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