On Sunday, Aug. 27, Juneauites have been asked to show solidarity for the people of Charlottesville, Virginia, at a rally at Marine Park.
“The prime purpose is to affirm the guiding principals of this country which have evolved to include everybody,” organizer Rich Moniak said during a visit to the Empire building on Wednesday.
Writers Ernestine Hayes and Ishmael Hope and former Mayor Bruce Bothelo and Mayor Ken Koelsch will speak at the rally, which takes place from 2-3:30 p.m. Attendees are also invited to speak at the open-mic style rally.
“People want a way to express themselves and be able to say, ‘this is where I stand, this is where we stand,’” Bothelo said. “So I think a lot of this is, again, an opportunity for people to be able to say to themselves that I stood up, we stood up, and we stood up together.”
Juneau People for Peace and Justice organized the rally. Moniak, Botelho and KJ Metcalf stopped by the Empire on Wednesday to talk about their message. They lament being a little late with their response — the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally took place two weeks ago — but the violence from white supremacists at the rally demanded a local response, however belated.
Botelho said the group may be perceived as “peaceniks” by some, but he hopes to see those from across the political spectrum attend.
“Every corner of the community should feel welcome and that they have ownership for this as well,” Botelho said.
The organizers said the event has four goals: To reaffirm our commitment to America’s guiding principle — that all people, regardless of race or religion, are created equal; to honor the sacrifice of all those who have worked to eradicate hate, violence and the systems reinforcing both; to reflect on our inner struggles with discrimination and biases; and to stand strong against the anti-Semitism and racial hatred that brought harm to Charlottesville and threatens the health of our fragile democracy.
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan recently responded to the widely-derided response to the Charlottesville from President Donald Trump. Trump had blamed “many sides” for the violence in Charlottesville, which left one counterprotester dead.
“Their hateful ideology, which seeks to undermine the dignity of people based on their race, is antithetical to the American ideals and values,” Sullivan wrote.
“Every one of us must stand against hatred, bigotry and violence, in both our words and actions,” Murkowski wrote. “We all have a responsibility to unite and heal our country.”
• Contact reporter Kevin Gullufsen at kevin.gullufsen@juneauempire.com or 523-2228.
