GAZETTE FILE PHOTO Organizer Pat Aslin holds a sign during a “Silent Bearing Witness” outside Northampton City Hall, June 26.
GAZETTE FILE PHOTO Organizer Pat Aslin holds a sign during a “Silent Bearing Witness” outside Northampton City Hall, June 26.
NORTHAMPTON — An interfaith vigil and procession planned for Sunday aims to highlight the human impact of recent detentions of immigrants by the federal government since President Donald Trump’s election.
Scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at Edwards Church in Northampton, the event will commence with prayer and meditation among multiple denominations from across western Massachusetts before participants engage in a march down Main Street. Marchers are expected to wear black, or black ribbons that will be provided for the event.
David Roitman, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Northampton and Florence who is a lead organizer of the event, said that while the event is aimed to highlight the injustices faced by numerous immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), it seeks do so from a spiritual viewpoint, rather than a political one.
“These are fathers and mothers ripped from their families,” Roitman said. “It’s not just about action. It’s about witnessing injustice and grieving what’s taking place.”
According to Roitman, 15 religious groups will participate in Sunday’s march, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist denominations. After several meetings, the groups met to determine how the event would be structured and settled on the eventual date of Aug. 3.
“People who are grieving, people who support immigrant rights are feeling a lot of pain,” Roitman said. “Part of this event is to help us, but a really important part is to help immigrants who are suffering, and we want them to know they have our support.”
The event is the most recent action taken as way to highlight abductions by ICE in Massachusetts. In June, a similar “silent bearing witness” procession was held at City Hall that coincided with nationwide protests against ICE.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said at a press conference in Boston in June that nearly 1,500 people in the state had been detained by the agency since March, with 54% of those having criminal records or charges pending.
Notable incidents in the state that have led to backlash and protest include the cases of Marcelo Gomes da Silva, a high school student in Milford, and Rümeysa Öztürk, a doctoral student at Tufts University.
Following the event, an interfaith benefit concert is expected to start at 4 p.m. at the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence, 220 Main St. Proceeds from the concert will go toward the Interfaith Help Fund, supporting immigrant families in need, according to Roitman.
Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.