The Peterborough Peace Council, which holds a monthly peace vigil on the last Monday of each month, is dedicating its vigil tonight (Monday, January 30) to those killed at the Quebec City mosque yesterday.
The vigil takes place from 5 to 6 p.m. at the corner of George Street North and McDonnell Streets, by the grass labyrinth outside the United Church. Organizers are asking participants to bring lanterns, glow sticks, little lights, and candles contained inside mason jars or other deep candle holders. The organizers will carry placards along the sidewalk facing the end-of-day traffic for the first half-hour, and then gather in a circle to speak about peace.
The vigil will also show solidarity with the Muslim community in Peterborough, which suffered its own hate crime in November 2015 when the Masjid Al-Salaam was fire bombed.
Other vigils and solidarity memorials will be held across Canada tonight.
The local Muslim community has expressed concerns about safety after the Quebec attack, which killed six people and left five in critical condition. Two men have been arrested as suspects in the shooting, although one may be a witness.
The Peterborough Police Service has issued the following statement on the morning of January 30th:
The Peterborough Police Service is aware of the tragic situation in Quebec on the weekend where innocent lives were taken at a place of worship, a mosque.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families and to the Muslim community.
Authorities are still investigating at this time.
Locally, we have a mosque and are aware of citizen concerns that naturally arise after an incident such as what Quebec and the Muslim community as a whole has just experienced.
Our Service is in contact with our local Mosque leadership and will work with our Muslim community to address any and all concerns relating to public safety.
The Peterborough Peace Council formed in November 2014 to foster non-violent direct action and conflict resolution. For more information about tonight’s vigil, visit the Peterborough Peace Council’s Facebook group.
