Massive candlelight vigil planned for Wednesday night in Tallahassee

June 2, 2020

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV)-- A different type of protest is planned for Wednesday night in Tallahassee. The "Justice for Humanity" walk and candlelight vigil will begin at 7 p.m. in front of the old Capitol building. The vigil will end at the amphitheater in Cascades Park.

"This is more than just a walk or a 'let's come together,'" said organizer Raven Wise. "We're trying to make a difference. We're not saying just what we want to change, but how we're going to make a change."

Wise said she was encouraged to create the event after attending some of the local protests over the weekend that got out of hand. In one instance, a vehicle ran into a crowd of protesters. In another, multiple businesses downtown were damaged.

Co-organizer Juna Esperance said they are looking to go in the opposite direction for this gathering.

"We want this to be as peaceful as possible, so people that want to come through — be aware that this is what we are trying to promote," she said. "So, please be in tune with what we have going on and please just keep the peace. That's what we want."

The event will include photos of people who have been killed, prayers led by local faith leaders, members of the Democratic party encouraging people to register to vote and live music, including a performance by Tallahassee's own Royce Lovett.

The event will finish around 9 p.m. so that the public can be home before the 11 p.m. county-mandated curfew, Wise said.

According to the

, roughly 1,400 people are interested in the event with more than 630 RSVPs.