Chicago residents gathered in Federal Plaza in downtown to pay tribute to the victims of Saturday’s shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue.
The vigil, called together to speak out against violence and hate, drew large crowds, and the scene was a somber one.
“As Christians and Jews and Muslims, it is time to come together,” Father Michael Pfleger said.
One-by-one, the names of the 11 victims killed in Saturday’s shooting were read, and many participants in the vigil were teary-eyed as the names echoed through the square.
“We are all affected by the same hate,” activist Tamar Manasseh said. “There are more of us to stand against the hate, than those who would stand for it.”
People of all faiths sounded a similar tone of unity, saying that citizens must stand together to protect those who enter places of worship.
“Everyone agrees that people of all faiths, races, and ethnicities need to come together in support of tolerance and peace,” vigil attendee Chaya Benhiyoun said.
“We must all get into the arena, and we are only going to win it together,” City Muslim Action Network member Rami Nashahibi added.
The vigil was one of hundreds held across the country in support of the victims of Saturday’s deadly shooting, just the latest in a string of attacks that Jewish leaders call a rising wave of anti-Semitism.
Some synagogues, including those in Chicago, have seen stepped up police patrols as a precaution in the aftermath of the shooting.
