Local community groups gather to support Charlottesville
JENKINTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) -- Almost immediately Saturday night, people in our area began organizing vigils in support of those killed and injured in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In Jenkintown, Montgomery County, a little more than two dozen people gathered at the town square.
Lee Detwiler of L.E.A.R.N. said, "Were trying to have a measured response of love and kindness and getting along and peace."
The rallies were condemning the white nationalist rally that began Saturday morning in Virginia and the death of a counter protester after witnesses say a car drove into the group.
"You're talking about people who are saying that hate's not OK, kindness matters, and then they get killed for it," Detwiler said.
"Literally in the space of four hours, the word got out, and we had a crowd gather to say that we believe in equality. We believe in diversity, and we're not going to sit by quietly when things like this happen," Chelsea Sperger of Active Community Engagement.
In Doylestown about 50 to 60 people also quickly organized.
In Center City, the "Philly We Rise" took to the streets also in response to the events in Virginia.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted, "I denounce white supremacist rallies and violence in Virginia. This is not what America is supposed to be. We're about love and unity, not hate."
The groups that organized the event in Jenkintown say this is ongoing. They will continue to have outlets for the community including solidarity dinners through the year.
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