‘Candlelight Vigil for Democracy’ held

Seventy people attended a “Candlelight Vigil for Democracy” at the Southbury Memorial Park green, Jan. 6.

The vigil was one of 200 organized events across the U.S., to make it a day of remembrance, and action in response to the attack on the U.S. Capitol and democracy on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021.

The Social Justice Task Force of the Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Society organized the event in Southbury.

A leader of the task force, Monica Burnham, facilitated the vigil.

Linda Goodman, who is the B’nai Israel of Southbury’s director of sacred music, and Lisa Segal, who is the chair of the B’nai Israel of Southbury’s ritual committee, performed a version of the song that is tiled: “Light One Candle,” from singer and songwriter, Peter Yarrow.

The words were modified by Goodman for the event, to reflect the need to protect the U.S. Constitution and democracy.

B’nai Israel Rabbi Eric Polokoff addressed the group that was circled around the flagpole at the park.

The Reverend Tony Lorenzen, who is also of the society, also spoke.

There was also a reading of the names of the people, who died at the U.S. Capitol.

A moment of silence followed the reading.

Videos of the event can be seen on the Justice Southbury Facebook page.

A link to a video of the event is also available at onedrive.live.com/?authkey =%21AH6g2tG5UzWyNJU &cid=D3B3ED324A4FAB0A &id=D3B3ED324A4FAB0A %21105878&parId=D3B3ED3 24A4FAB0A%21105828&o= OneUp.