RUTLAND — A large crowd gathered in Rutland’s Main Street Park Monday evening to protest the killing of George Floyd and the disproportionate numbers at which people of color are affected by Covid-19. 

A supportive chorus of honks sounded as cars and trucks passed the event’s nearly 200 participants. “We literally planned this last night,” said Mary Droege, a co-leader at Castleton Indivisible and the organizer of the vigil. “It happened within 24-hours notice.” 

Attendees held signs that read “Justice for Floyd,” “End Racism,” and, most commonly, “Black Lives Matter.” 

“If we want to stop racism, this is the only way,” attendee Ivana Espinet said. “There’s no other way to change the world, and it’s been long enough.”