Councillor and DJ to hold vigil for gun victims
A VIGIL to remember the 49 victims of the gun massacre at a gay nightclub in Florida is due to be held in Bridgend town centre on Sunday.
Following vigils held in honour of the victims and in support of the LGBT community across the world and at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on Monday evening, Bridge FM breakfast presenter Lee Jukes and Bridgend councillor David White decided to organise an event in the town.
Lee, a supporter of the LGBT community who will be speaking at the event, said: “The idea is to bring together the wider community along with the local LGBT community, so that we can show some local solidarity.
“We want to stand together to show the world that our little part of South Wales is grieving along with the rest of the world after the atrocities in Or- lando on the weekend. We are all individual.
“We need more love and less hate in the world.”
Gunman Omar Mateen, who had pledged his allegiance to so-called Islamic State, entered the Pulse nightclub in Orlando early on Sunday and gunned down revellers inside.
It was the worst mass shooting in recent US his- tory and has been called “an act of terror and an act of hate” by President Barack Obama.
Coun White said: “It was a senseless massacre that involved acts of murder on the LGBT community, a homopho- bic attack, a hate crime.
“It was also an attack on freedom of expression and equality.
“We must stand in solidarity with the LGBT community to demonstrate our belief that love and not hate will con- quer.”
It is hoped that a cross section of political, community and religious leaders will speak.
The vigil will take place at 6pm on Sunday outside Carnegie House on Wyndham Street.