community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
Peace Vigils Exceed Expectations
by Corey Ballantyne
Sunday, Mar. 16, 2003 at 10:50 PM
cjbst57@pitt.edu (email address validated)
Three candlelight vigils for peace attracted more than twice the numbers expected. See also my article posted this afternoon, http://www.indypgh.org/news/2003/03/1960.php .
At least three candlelight peace vigils in the Pittsburgh area this evening (March 16, 2003) exceeded the expected number of people. About 250 people (give or take 50) gathered for the vigil at Frick Playground in Regent Square at Forbes Ave. and Braddock. Only 48 had registered online by this afternoon. Jo Ann Pratt estimated that 125 people attended the vigil she co-organized with Miriam DeRiso at the Friends Meeting House on Ellsworth Ave. Saturday, Pratt had predicted about 50 people. Rev. David Herndon of First Unitarian Church said that 105 people attended the vigil there. This morning, he had expected about 50 and said that he would be pleased with 50.
The Frick Park vigil seemed a matter of course to participants because vigils for peace have already been occurring there every Saturday for about five weeks (and will continue), said Amy Evans, who has been attending the Saturday vigils. When people learned of MoveOn�s call for vigils to take place this evening, �everyone knew that it was going to happen, but no one was taking the reins,� she said. The person to make it official was Eve Goodman, who registered the vigil online with MoveOn.org. Evans commented that the vigils are fun because the neighborhood is �pretty liberal,� cars honk their approval, and more people attend every week. Evans and several other women sold posters bearing the words, �Pittsburghers for Peace,� from the group by the same name.
www.indypgh.org/news/2003/03/1960.php
rendezvous with an unannounced vigil
by matt
Monday, Mar. 17, 2003 at 1:08 AM
matt@indypgh.org
While driving through Squirrel Hill sunday night I happened to drive by a group of mostly middle-aged upper-middle class men and women (and dog) holding a candlelight vigil for peace. As far as I know it was a quietly planned gathering of neighbors on a quiet stretch of Wightman Street. I took a photo and said hello -- they were friendly and had attended POG's anti-war rally earlier in the day. This photo was taken with a flash so it doesn't really capture the dim candlelight feel of the event. However it is impressive to see that people all over pittsburgh, from young radicals to older professionals, are all taking action against the war today and organizing their own demonstrations. Pittsburgh has spoken aganist the war today; we'll see if New York and Washington, DC listen in the upcoming week.
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