Vigils in the Triangle tonight to protest ‘white supremacist hatred’ in Charlottesville

Events cropped up in the Triangle overnight in response to a series of protests organized by white supremacists and counter demonstrations in Charlottesville, Va., that turned violent.

Durham

A vigil for racial justice and equality hosted by Together We Will North Carolina, Indivisibles NC, Protecting Progress in Durham and the Carolina Peace Center is scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. at CCB Plaza, 201 N. Corcoran St. in Durham.

“Indifference in the face of this kind of bigoted terrorism is not an option,” Eleanor Wertman of Indivisibull Durham said in a news release. “We will gather to support each other in our continued fight against white supremacy.”

“On Sunday, North Carolinians will gather for a candlelight vigil in support of racial justice and equality and in opposition to the white supremacist hatred on display in Charlottesville this weekend,” the event page read. “We will mourn those affected by white supremacist terror, demand that our elected officials condemn the racist views espoused by ‘Unite the Right’ participants, and publicly commit ourselves to resisting the cancer of white supremacy.

“Tonight we mourn and stand in solidarity. In the days to come, we march.”

Attendees are asked to bring candles and a way to light them or flashlights.

The vigil is sponsored by groups including Durham for Organizing Action, Indivisibull Durham, Indivisibles NC – District 1, Protecting Progress in Durham, Triangle Indivisible Daily Call to Action, Tuesdays with Tillis, and Together We Will North Carolina.

Orange County

A “Solidarity with Charlottesville” event will begin at 7 p.m. at the Silent Sam Confederate monument on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill on Sunday.

“We will gather at Silent Sam, Chapel Hill's own despicable Confederate monument, to show solidarity to those who stood up to fascism in Charlottesville this weekend, to mourn the death of the person murdered by fascists in Charlottesville today and to emphasize our own tireless commitment to fighting tyranny of all kinds,” the event page read.

Another event, “Orange County Stands Against White Supremacy” will be held at the Old Courthouse on King Street in Hillsborough at 6 p.m. Sunday.

“The gathering of white supremacists in Charlottesville this weekend was a terrible display of bigotry and hate that has simmered just below the surface for decades, but has been unleashed anew as racism and bigotry have found homes in the highest levels of government,” the event page read. “Let's stand together as a community to stand in solidarity with Charlottesville, mourn the life of the woman killed when protesters were run down, and say ‘no’ to white supremacy.”

Over the weekend, hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and Ku Klux Klan members gathered in Charlottesville for a “Unite the Right” rally and to protest the removal of Confederate statues.

This weekend’s activities come amid a a months-long community discussions in Orange County about Confederate symbols and statues.

For the Orange County Schools has been debating whether to ban the Confederate flag from student clothing and on school property. Parent Latarndra Strong and others formed the Hate Free Schools Coalition after she saw a Confederate battle flag displayed three days in a row in a student’s truck at Orange High School.

If you know of or are planning an event related to the events in Charlottesville, Va. and would like to be included in this list, email abennett@newsobserver.com.

This story was originally published August 13, 2017 at 9:41 AM with the headline "Vigils in the Triangle tonight to protest ‘white supremacist hatred’ in Charlottesville."