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Coronavirus Vigil Lays Blame for Deaths on President Trump

Sarah Gibson for NHPR

Activists gathered Thursday night for a virtual vigil to honor lives lost to coronavirus and condemn President Trump's handling of the pandemic.

The event – organized by Black Lives Matter Manchester, Rights and Democracy, and the New Hampshire Youth Movement - was streamed from near the Trump campaign office in Manchester.

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Asma Elhuni, an organizer with the progressive group Rights and Democracy, Zoomed into the vigil to give a timeline of coronavirus deaths and Trump’s actions since February.

Elhuni blamed Trump for not shutting down the country sooner and downplaying the severity of the virus, which has killed nearly 200,000 Americans.

“Are we going to sit and watch people suffer, lose their jobs and die?” she asked attendees.

The event was attended by less than a hundred people. It was facilitated by Black Lives Matter activist Erika Perez.

“We are experiencing a global trauma,” she said. “I think it’s important to give people a platform.”

Sarah Gibson worked in NHPR's newsroom from 2018 to 2024. She reported on education and demographics.
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