The weekly peace vigil, held each Wednesday evening in front of the old Federal courthouse, had an urgent focus this week because of the recent attacks in Gaza.
Several groups, including the Quakers, Justice Not War, Women’s Action for New Directions, and the Democratic Peace Caucus were represented in the approximately 50-person crowd.
The Community Alliance of Lane County, which has worked with Lane County to support minority groups in the community facing discrimination or racism, organized the event.
The vigil demanded an end to the violence with a United States intervention that would promote a peacekeeping effort and advocate for a mutually beneficial resolution between the Sunni Muslim Palestinian group Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip.
Demonstrators held banners, waved colorful flags and signs, handed out flyers and discussed the issues with pedestrians during the evening business commute.
The vigil advocated for an immediate cease-fire, enforced by the international community, the United Nations and the United States.
In a press release, Michael Carrigan, peace organizer for CALC, urged Rep. Peter DeFazio, Sen. Ron Wyden and Sen. Jeff Merkley to join Rep. Earl Blumenauer in issuing statements calling for peace.
A joint statement issued by community peace activists Carrigan, Peg Morton and Michael Williams urges President-elect Barack Obama, Congress and the public “to seriously consider that the path to the resolution of conflicts can no longer travel the road of violence.”
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