Vigils in Oakland, SF Honor Victims of Warehouse Fire
By Kim Yonenaka and Jean Elle
Hundreds of people
holding lights honored those who died in the Oakland warehouse fire
during a vigil Monday night in Oakland's Lake Merritt. Kim Yonenaka
reports. (Published Monday, Dec. 5, 2016)
Hundreds
of people holding lights honored those who died in the Oakland
warehouse fire during a vigil Monday night in Oakland's Lake Merritt.
Those
in the crowd embraced each other or held up lights or flowers and said
aloud the names of people they lost in the blaze, though some booed the
city's mayor when she spoke.
Several people in the crowd had signs offering "free hugs."
Among
the attendees were the parents of 35-year-old Travis Hough, who died in
the fire. He was there to support one of the performers.
"He worked with troubled kids," Hough's dad said. "Everyone knew him as Mr. Travis. They all loved him."
Attendees
were asked to bring flameless candles, glow sticks, flashlights or
other lights. Whether they knew someone lost in this fire, or were just
touched by the magnitude of this tragedy, the vigil drew a crowd of
about 500 people.
"I'm only 15, and I don't know what they are going through," Taylor Nelson said. "I want to say they are in my prayers."
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf spoke at the event, where she was greeted with boos
and calls to resign from saddended, angry atendants. Some people have
criticized Schaaf, saying she emphasized the warehouse's code violations
instead of the city's shortage of affordable housing in the hours
following the deadly fire.
"As we
move forward right now, our focus has to be on those who we know are
lost and those we are going to learn have been lost," the mayor said.
In San Francisco, a tearful crowd remembered the transgender victims of the warehouse fire.
"Some
of those members don't have a connection to family," one attendee said.
"We are their family; it is our job to hold them up."
The
transgender clergy said some members of the community lived in the
warehouse. But many were there to see popular transgender performer Cash
Askew, the 22-year-old who died in the fire.
Em
Bohlka's father said his daughter was there to see the show. In a
statement, he said his heart is broken, and it was wonderful to see her
becoming who she was meant to be.
It's possible some victims' parents will never know their child died.
Pastor
Megan Rohrer said in life many of the transgender victims struggled to
feel safe and belong. She said in death, the coroner is respecting who
they were.
"It's kind of
beautiful," she said. "They are taking time to make sure they're using
chosen names and preferred gender pronouns."
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