Thousands came together in a Seattle park Sunday evening to express sorrow and anguish over the mass shooting in Florida, in which 50 people lost their lives. Clutching signs with messages of grief and lighting rainbow-colored votive candles, people of multiple faiths and backgrounds converged on Cal Anderson Park in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
"We will not be intimidated," declared Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, the city's first openly gay mayor. "We will stand strong. We will stand together as a community."
Murray was joined by his husband Michael Shiosaki, as well as elected leaders including Governor Jay Inslee and King County Executive Dow Constantine. The Seattle Men's Chorus and the Seattle Women's Chorus sang an emotional rendition of "We Shall Overcome" before the speakers began.
People attending the vigil echoed Mayor Murray's call to stand up to hate and violence.
“We need to show the world that we will not surrender,” said Ashleigh Beard.
“We won’t keep quiet; it won’t scare us; we're not going to hide,” said Elena Tarassova. “We're not going to stop loving each other and we're not going to stop celebrating each other. It's not going to stop us from having our Pride months and from having pride.”
Also visible at the vigil, in the crowd and among the speakers, were people of Muslim faith condemning the attack. Published reports indicate the Orlando shooter was inspired by ISIS and its Islamic extremist ideology.
The vigil was mirrored by gatherings in Tacoma, Olympia and elsewhere.
"This is a spirit that's as strong in Yakima, in Spokane, in Quincy, in Port Angeles, as it is in Seattle," Gov. Jay Inslee told the crowd.
In Seattle, Mayor Murray ordered flags at City Hall lowered to half-staff in honor of the victims.
The attack targeting a gay nightclub comes as people in Seattle and worldwide prepare for Pride Month. Seattle Pride Vice President David Hale told the Associated Press that the city's Pride Parade and other events will move forward this month. Mayor Murray said Sunday that the Seattle Police Department would increase security at those gatherings.
Still, some at the vigil expressed unease about what is to come, citing the arrest of a heavily armed man headed to Pride festivities in Los Angeles.
“I'm, like, shivering, I don't even want to go to Pride; I'm so afraid. If they're catching people in L.A., who knows what the heck's going to happen in Seattle,” said L.J. Womak.
As the Seattle vigil drew to a close, the crowd joined in a somber count to 50, and beyond, enumerating the dead in the Orlando shooting.
“As we leave here, the sun will set and night will fall," said Mayor Murray, concluding his remarks. "All of us will find ways to make sure those who were murdered in the early hours of this morning did not die in vain. We will live in hope and not fear, we will find ways to bridge what divides us."
