About 120 people met in Dolores Saturday evening to hold a vigil for George Floyd, who was killed more than 900 miles away by police in Minneapolis.
Attendees met at Joe Rowell Park, the majority of them wearing facial coverings.
Clare Vass organized the peaceful vigil to honor Floyd, a black man who was killed on May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. The group also knelt in silence for the same amount of time toward the start of the vigil. As everyone stood up, Vass connected the moment to a sign of privilege within systemic racism.
"Silence means violence," she told the crowd, urging people to speak out, vote, and hold elected officials accountable.
Speaking to KSJD after the vigil, Vass said the turnout in Dolores speaks to the widespread impact of Floyd's death around the world.
"Rural movements are very important," Vass said. "We are still part of this country. We still have to show that we all stand together, including these towns of 900 people."
Counterprotesters met across the street with U.S. flags and speakers playing music. Vass called for vigil attendees to not acknowledge the other group and maintain its direction as a peaceful vigil and not a protest itself. The two groups did not meet at any point.
The Mancos United Methodist Church is holding a vigil for Floyd at Boyle Park in Mancos at noon Tuesday.