Woodstock kicks off weekly BLM vigil
Participants display their signs at Monday’s Black Lives Matter vigil in Woodstock, Vermont. At right, Willa Nohl and Ashley Murray (at far right) hold up the large BLM sign. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
A weekly Black Lives Matter vigil kicked off on Monday in Woodstock, Vermont, with the goal of continually showing solidarity with the movement.
Going forward, the vigil will be held each Monday from 5 to 5:30 p.m. at Tribou Park in Woodstock Village, at the intersection of Pleasant Street and Route 4. Many in the Woodstock community have been active supporters of Black Lives Matter, attending multiple events earlier this year in support of social justice in the wake of George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis. That included a Black Lives Matter car rally in Woodstock on the day of Floyd's funeral in June. Protests and vigils were also held in a number of other Upper Valley towns, some drawing large crowds.
The move to hold a Woodstock vigil each week started with local resident Mary Corrigan, who noted the nearby New Hampshire towns of Hanover, Lebanon and Canaan hold their own events regularly in support of BLM.
"I wanted to keep it on people's minds," she said.
Corrigan and fellow organizer Peggy Fraser spread the word about the vigil, with help from some members of local group Women For A Change. About 30 people showed up at Tribou Park on Monday afternoon, with a number of passing motorists honking in support.
Area residents support Black Lives Matter at a vigil in Woodstock, Vermont, on Monday. At center, Woodstock resident Jane Curtis, 103, displays the sign, “Know Justice, Know Peace.” Organizer Mary Corrigan is shown at far left. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
The vigil was organized prior to the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday. At Monday's event, Fraser invited people at the vigil to fill out name tags with Ginsburg's name and wear them, in honor of her legacy.
Ashley Murray, a Mendon resident who helped hold up a large Black Lives Matter sign, said Ginsburg's many years of tireless work for justice were particularly poignant now.
"Her cases have done a lot to expand rights for a lot of people, and it's important to support that idea, which may now be threatened from a judicial perspective," Murray said.
At one point, a motorist drove by the vigil, rolled down the window and yelled, "Trump, Trump, Trump!", and then left. Murray said it's "disheartening" to see evidence of the political division in the country.
"I'd love to see people come together and see that it's for everybody," she said of Black Lives Matter. "It's basic human rights for everyone."
Pamela Fraser, of Barnard, whose mother, Peggy, helped organize the vigil, said the political climate makes it even more important to come out and support the movement for social change.
"It's strange to me that it's become political to support ending injustice," Pamela Fraser said.
She was encouraged by the community's support of these efforts on Monday.
"I'm glad to see people still caring."
— Gareth Henderson
