publication date: Oct 30, 2009
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author/source: Pridelife.co.uk
A silent, candle-lit vigil will be held in Trafalgar Square on Friday October 30 in memory of Ian Baynham, the gay man who died from his injuries after being attacked there on September 25, and as a protest against all homophobic and hate crime in the heart of London.
People are asked to gather in the Square from 8pm and observe a 2-minute silence at 9pm, with the vigil finishing at 10pm. Those who cannot make it to the square are asked to organise vigils wherever they are and join those in the square in spirit, and by posting photos and comments to the organisers, Facebook group 17-24-30, make it a globally recognised event.
In an interview, organiser Mark Healey said: "What we're planning to do is to spend the first half of the evening focussing on the victims of hate crime, remembering Ian, remembering the other victims like David Morley, and making sure that family and friends have an opportunity to say what they want to say. We've invited the family and friends to come and speak, we've had friends of David Morley who have said that they want to speak as well, so we're going to try and create a space on the platform for these people to have their say.
"We need a show of numbers. The square can hold 15,000 people; the police are expecting us to have about 10,000 but we really should fill the square. This is an opportunity for us to really push the issue home to make sure it's at the top of the agenda. Too many people are dying on the streets and we should all be safe to walk around freely without being hassled and abused or killed in this manner."
More information is available from Facebook group 17-24-30.
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