Emotions ran high outside Milwaukee City Hall Monday night as hundreds of people mourned the deaths of nearly 50 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
A gunman shot dozens of patrons early Sunday, apparently to show support for ISIS.
Monday evening’s rally in Milwaukee included a candlelight vigil and calls for solutions to hate and violence.
Many people in the audience sported rainbow flags in their lapels. Others carried signs that read “No Hate” and “I Stand Against Intolerance.” The City of Festivals Men’s Chorus performed.
Community activist Brenda Coley implored the crowd to remain vigilant. “Transgender, LGB people, people of color both straight and gay are targeted with horrendous rates of violence. We need to speak out against violence, we need to interrupt hate speech and be kind to people who you don’t even know,” Coley said.
Coley also called on those in the audience to remain steadfast in their support of each other.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett acknowledged the pain everyone was feeling. “Tonight we mark the horrific events in Orlando with sadness and solidarity. It is so important that we are together. It is so important that we tell the world, that we tell those who harbor hatred that we will not be deterred from loving one another as human beings,” he said.
Barrett also called for stricter gun control measures. One person who agrees is Erik Koepnick.
“We have an uncontrolled gun problem. I really think that one day we could have peace in our communities if we restricted access to especially automatic weapons but most firearms,” Koepnick said.
Yet, Koepnick cautioned those angry about the killings not to invoke prejudices against the shooter.
Fellow mourner Lila Resendez says someone who became so violent undoubtedly needed help. “I think people just need mentoring when they don’t feel good or when they feel that they have a right to take somebody’s life,” Resendez said.
There are no easy answers, according to Edwin Huertas. “It’s a multi-step process. It’s not going to happen overnight. You can go the route of policy changes but that can only do so much. We need to start changing the behavior of people and start preaching tolerance and acceptance,” Huertas said.
And, Huertas is having a particularly difficult time dealing with the Orlando tragedy. A friend was one of those shot at the nightclub. “As soon as I heard I checked and called my friends in Orlando. I used the Facebook safety check-in feature and lo and behold everyone was fine but one,” Huertas said.
