‘Secret’ Candlelight Vigil in Charlottesville Draws Massive Crowd

Hundreds of people gathered in Charlottesville and around the country late Wednesday for a candlelight vigil honoring Heather Heyer, the protester hit and killed by a car on Saturday. Attendees also denounced the rally held by neo-Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville over the weekend. Chanting "love wins" and singing hymns and songs, the vigil attendees in Charlottesville held small candles in a striking visual rebuke to the torches that swept through just days earlier.

The scene at UVA. Wow. #Charlotteville pic.twitter.com/hsSnyxMyUP

— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 17, 2017

Thousands raise candles at vigil in Charlottesville to a chorus of 'LOVE WINS' pic.twitter.com/R6A6G8IqzA

— Greg Hogben (@MyDaughtersArmy) August 17, 2017

We replaced you. (photo: @caseykilmartin) pic.twitter.com/bCp0ycnQwo

— Brennan Gilmore (@brennanmgilmore) August 17, 2017

Hundreds of people flowing into the field near UVA now for a candlelit parade to trace Charlottesville torch rally's path with love pic.twitter.com/UkAW7f080v

— Nora Neus (@noraneus) August 17, 2017

I've never seen the UVA lawn like this. And this is only a quarter of the people here. Hundreds more marching. pic.twitter.com/t0ChLe1BuC

— Nora Neus (@noraneus) August 17, 2017

Attendees sing civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome" during a vigil and peaceful march in Charlottesville, VA https://t.co/g2reWQJILu

— CNN (@CNN) August 17, 2017

A Black Lives Matter chant around the Thomas Jefferson statue at UVA. pic.twitter.com/ih3gaQE377

— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 17, 2017

Members of the University of Virginia community participated, including the members of UVA's football team and UVA Dean of Students Allen Groves. The rally was coordinated offline in an attempt to ensure safety, according to CNN: 

The vigil organized by students and faculty grew from word of mouth, phone calls, emails and text messages as the university community tried to begin the healing process. The attendees refrained from publicizing the vigil on social media to ensure everyone's safety, organizers said.

...The crowd sang: "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine." In an improvised verse, they sang: "All around UVA, I'm going to let it shine."

Other vigils and marches were held yesterday around the country in support of Charlottesville, including the widely-publicized #PhillyisCharlottesville.