© 2026 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Across The Country, Vigils Honor Victims Of Orlando Attack

Vigils, marches and rallies were held across the country and the world on Monday evening to remember the victims of the deadly attack in Orlando, Fla.

Events were held in New York, Vermont, Florida, California, Alaska, Rhode Island, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and in Washington, D.C. Another vigil is scheduled for Tuesday in Atlanta, Ga.

In New York, thousands gathered outside the Stonewall Inn, the site of a 1969 police raid that launched the modern gay rights movement.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo joined the vigil and delivered a full-throated demand for what he called "sensible gun control."

"How many people have to die before this federal government comes to its senses? We had Columbine, we had Virginia Tech, we had Sandy Hook, we had San Bernardino, we had Aurora, Colorado. When does it stop?" he asked the cheering crowd.

Mayor Bill de Blasio called the attack in Orlando not just an attack on 49 Americans. "It was an attack on American values," he said.

"We do not accept anyone who would sow division and hatred. We do not accept the notion of any of our leaders sowing hatred and division, particularly in the wake of tragedy, and that means you, Donald Trump."

Also on Monday night, the Eiffel Tower was lit up in the colors of the rainbow, to honor the LGBT community. In London's Soho neighborhood, a gay nightlife hub, people observed two minutes of silence and released 49 balloons into the air, one for each victim.

And in Orlando, at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, bells tolled 49 times to honor the victims.

Facebook user Dave Sirak captured 360 video of the vigil as the Orlando Gay Chorus performed.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Richard Gonzales is NPR's National Desk Correspondent based in San Francisco. Along with covering the daily news of region, Gonzales' reporting has included medical marijuana, gay marriage, drive-by shootings, Jerry Brown, Willie Brown, the U.S. Ninth Circuit, the California State Supreme Court and any other legal, political, or social development occurring in Northern California relevant to the rest of the country.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

Related Content
Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.