LACONIA — A sparsely-attended candlelight vigil condemning white violence was held peacefully Saturday at the Rotary Park gazebo, in an exercise of First Amendment rights following the public slaying of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

Event organizers, who said they wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, wanted to honor the memory of three white Americans killed this year: Kirk, Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, and 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, who was stabbed at a track event. Organizers are not part of any nationally-recognized group, but are rather friends.

Six of the 11 event attendees were organizers, while another five people came and went throughout the one-hour vigil. A moment of silence was held and a prayer said around the hand-assembled wooden cross sitting n

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