Organizers with the volunteer activist group Solidarity Maryland are planning to hold a vigil outside The Sun‘s N. Calvert Street offices Saturday night to honor the five people killed and the two injured at the Capital Gazette offices yesterday.
Baltimore Sun Media Group owns both The Sun and Capital Gazette Communications.
“Grieving as a community is a healthy expression of that emotion. The five people who were killed and the multiple people who were injured are members of the Annapolis and the Maryland communities,” Cristi Demnowicz, one of the organizers, wrote in an email. “They are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and friends who put their heart and soul into their chosen profession of journalism. They did their job in order to keep the rest of us informed, which to me is one of the most noble things a person can do.
“We want people to know that it’s OK to be sad, it’s OK to be heartbroken and it’s OK to be furious that this act of terrorism was allowed to happen at one of our most sacred pillars of democracy.”
In addition to activist work, the volunteer group ran food and supplies to protesters in Standing Rock and to Texas after hurricanes hit the Gulf Coast in 2017. Solidarity Maryland wants the vigil to be a community-based event instead of something that’s agenda-driven.
Noting the close ties between the sister publications and The Sun‘s pending move from its N. Calvert Street home, Demnowicz said in a phone interview, “It just seems like it’s one thing after another for them right now.”
She went on to say: “I hope that they will get a sense that the community does support them and that we support the work that they do.”
Two vigils are planned in Annapolis tonight, according to The Sun, both examples of a larger showing of community and industry support. On Twitter, Sun enterprise editor Diana K. Sugg offered thanks to various news organizations that offered assistance, food or flowers.
Team at @capgaznews and @baltimoresun rallying to deliver powerful coverage of the killing of five colleagues in Annapolis newsroom. Huge thanks for all the offers of help @HoustonChron @nytimes, for the food @phillydotcom @PhillyInquirer @mcclatchy and the flowers @HuffPost
— Diana K. Sugg (@DianaSugg) June 29, 2018
Thanks to @michellebjork for driving from Philly to Baltimore to bring sandwiches and supplies for the tired reporting team of @baltimoresun. Our crew appreciates the support! @PhillyInquirer @phillydotcom
— Diana K. Sugg (@DianaSugg) June 29, 2018
Staffers from The Capital, who managed to put out this morning’s paper in the wake of an immense tragedy, are working out of the building on N. Calvert Street, where the Baltimore Sun Media Group is offering counseling and support services, CNN’s Brian Stelter reported.
A GoFundMe set up by Bloomberg Government reporter Madi Alexander to help Capital Gazette journalists in their time of need has raised more than $150,000. And tronc, the owner of Baltimore Sun Media Group, has established The Capital Gazette Families Fund to help with trauma counseling, funeral expenses, health costs not covered by insurance and other associated expenses.
And as many reporters posted on social media, a group of therapy dogs stopped by the newsroom today.
Therapy dogs in the newsroom today ♥️? pic.twitter.com/fOgMPtEqI1
— Colin Campbell (@cmcampbell6) June 29, 2018
Therapy dogs with soft ears and wet noses in the Baltimore Sun newsroom. pic.twitter.com/n7aylrxUjI
— Mary Carole McCauley (@mcmccauley) June 29, 2018
Just met Otis the therapy dog. He is a good boy pic.twitter.com/nhLe48tOO1
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) June 29, 2018
Tomorrow’s vigil will be from 8-9 p.m.
