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Rally at UR gathers in the name of song

Interfaith Chapel Facebook

Medical students at the University of Rochester held a different kind of rally Saturday evening.

Songs in Solidarity was intended to gather people in the name of song. Organizers of the event wanted to create a space to sing along to classic protest songs, songs from the labor movement and more modern music.

Emily Walters is a medical student at UR and helped organize the event; she said it was inspired by some of the other rallies she’s attended lately.

“Before the speakers came, they were just playing music and I think it was an old Bob Dylan song or something, and just talking to some of the other protestors we were like, “Oh yeah! Music brings us together, it connects us.”

Walters said the event was in support of refugees, immigrants and other vulnerable people in our community.

In response to recent political actions, Walters said she thinks people are realizing how powerful they can be in gathering and shaping policy.

She also said it was important to come together as a medical community since many of the resident physicians and students in the UR program are immigrants.

The event was held at the Interfaith Chapel on the UR River Campus. Donations went to Mary’s Place, a nonprofit center that works to improve the lives of local refugees.