Anti-Hate Crime Vigil
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On 30th October 2009, Norwich joined with London and cities around the world in a candle-lit vigil for the victims of hate crimes. We gathered on the steps of Millennium Plain. Janet Brandish from People First of Norfolk spoke about Hate Crimes against people with learning difficulties. Vince Laws read some poetry. At 9pm we took part in a two-minute silence, along with thousands of people in London, Brighton and other cities internationally. The main vigil, organised by charity 17-24-30 and hosted by Sandi Toksvig, took place in Trafalgar Square, where on September 25, 62-year-old Ian Baynham was the victim of a homophobic attack, suffering injuries from which he later died. Stuart Milk, the nephew of Harvey Milk, sent a message of support to the Trafalgar Square Vigil. This is what he wrote: "My uncle, Harvey Milk, was brutally murdered more than 30 years ago for simply living his life openly and honestly as a gay man. As the first openly gay elected official to a major office in the US he knew he had a target on his back that would attract those who are moved by hatred, those that are moved by fear of all who are different and by those that seek to divide our communities. We had no laws back then and for the following 30 years in the US to offer protection to the LGBT community from these hate crimes and the death toll of LGBT victims of these attacks continued to climb. Just this week, US President Barack Obama signed into law the Matthew Sheppard Hate Crimes Prevention Act which includes stringent nationwide deterrents to those that would target any minority group including the LGBT community. This federal action to prevent and properly prosecute hate crimes against gay, lesbian and transgendered Americans is a major step toward ending this tragic violence that has taken so many important lives from us all, however the message of hate, indifference and targeted bigotry based crime will not be silenced until all citizens of the world, in every corner are accorded full equality under the law in every national jurisdiction on all seven continents, an on all four oceans! When my uncle was assassinated 31 years ago, the immediate reaction of the LGBT community and many equality minded allies, was one of the world's most eloquent, peaceful, and spontaneous demonstrations and expressions of loss ever seen - a unrehearsed, unplanned candlelight march that brought out over 50,000 who marched for miles with candles of all shapes and sizes to finally gather in silence at San Francisco City Hall. As an immediate family member who, at 17 lost my only uncle and as a newly out family member of the LGBT community who lost my most strident role model, I took not only the powerful solace of the community sharing my loss, but the resolve that we, the world over, will never let any LGBT murder victim of hate again pass from this world without our deep respect and message that this violence is unacceptable, and that we are united to end this hate was and for all. I am honored to be with you tonight with my words from across the pond, in strong and steadfast spirit, as we stand together, in the light of candle lit flickers that peacefully tell the message--the hate based violence put upon, most recently, Ian Baynham in London and James Parkes in Liverpool and many other victims over the last few year, will not be permitted to continue, their deaths and their injuries will not be in vain - we are here, joined across the miles by all those victims of bigotry and their families and friends worldwide, we are here unified throughout the globe to end hate crimes once and for all!"  |
