University of Florida students and faculty gathered with religious leaders Friday to your Liberation Rally, commemorating the 72nd anniversary in the liberation in the?infamous Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz.
UF theatre and telecommunications senior Tyler Ellman coordinated the wedding.
“This is a opportinity for the Gator community to get together,” he was quoted saying regarding the rally.
The event?began at noon inside Turlington Plaza and?started with Ellman greeting the mass of folks.
“Today is not a day about dwelling about negative activity,” he said. “Today is all about celebrating, it can be embracing who we have been as the Gator community… I encourage every single one person to become flower that blooms in adversity.”
Religious leaders Rabbi Berl Goldman of Chabad and Rabbi Adam Grossman of UF Hillel also spoke on the rally.
“Evil is temporary,” Goldman said. “Goodness and kindness are forever.”
Grossman mirrored Goldman’s and Ellman’s words, sharing much the same message: solidarity and unity against adversity.
“Our Gator unity and our voices must carry on and speak out,” Grossman said.
UF President Kent Fuchs also made an unusual appearance for the event.
“Being university president is compared to learning to be a rabbi, you won’t ever say ‘no’ when you are getting asked if you would like speak,” Fuchs said.
“As the university community, the way in which you can displace the indicating hate just isn’t with hate, but love,” he explained. “I prefer to encourage those of you which have personal faith and have a cultural heritage to celebrate that.”
The rally ended with Julia Sabra, a UF student, leading the crowd on the guitar having a rendition of “Imagine” by John Lennon.
The event is available in light of the latest events all around the presence of men wearing a swastika armband. Michael Dewitz, 34, was initially seen together with the armband while riding a bicycle on university campus Tuesday.
Dewitz was attacked and stripped of the armband Thursday afternoon, following a four-hour protest over his presence at UF that drew a large group of 200-plus.
Today, people spotted an extra man prominently which has a swastika on his clothing?strolling on UF’s campus. The person, referred to as Roger Wiggins, was spotted?with his walker wearing a black leather jacket by using a large swastika symbol painted within the back.
Wiggins said he?believes bigger?the ability to express his opinion, claiming that they could not mean to confront?anyone.
