On a chilly Sunday evening, more than 70 Jaffrey residents gathered along Main Street for a silent candlelight vigil in memory of Renee Nicole Good–one of at least seven vigils held across the region that evening–and to call for justice in connection with her death last Wednesday in Minneapolis.
Organized by Jaffrey Democrats, the vigil took place from 5 to 5:30 p.m. along the sidewalk between N.H. Route 137 and the new Town Offices. Participants held battery-powered candles and assembled near the Town Bandstand across from the Park Theatre. Only two signs were displayed: “Justice for Renee Nicole Good” and “ICE Out for Good.”
The Jaffrey vigil was one of at least seven held across the region that evening. Organizers reported 293 attendees in Peterborough, 90 estimated in Hancock, 55 in Dublin, and 24 in Fitzwilliam. Attendance figures for Bennington, Antrim, and Jaffrey were still being finalized as of press time.
In Hancock, participant Sandy Taylor addressed the crowd, offering remarks that organizers said reflected the purpose of the gatherings throughout the area.
“This vigil is for Renee Nicole Good, who was killed in Minneapolis last week,” Taylor said. “Thank you all for showing up this evening, for joining in community in order to spend a few minutes in her honor.”
Taylor read excerpts from Robert Hubbell’s Today’s Edition Newsletter, urging participants to transform grief and anger into action before the group observed a period of silence for the remaining half hour.
Hubbell wrote, in part, “It was a tragic day. No one should bury or suppress their feelings of anger and horror. Rather, we should live with them as we turn anger and grief into action, and join in peaceful protests. By converting our anger and grief into mass action, the death of Renee Nicole Good will not have been in vain.
“Two things can be true at once: We can be devastated and outraged, and we can force ourselves to take action when that is the last thing our grieving minds want to do. How we respond will be critical to answering the question, ‘When will it stop?’ It will stop when enough of us say ‘No.’ It is that simple, and that hard.”
Vigils were held Sunday in multiple Monadnock Region communities, including Antrim, Bennington, Dublin, Fitzwilliam, Hancock, Jaffrey, and Peterborough, with participants encouraged to bring LED candles or small lights and observe the half-hour gatherings in silence.