A small interfaith group associated with the Second Congregational Church in Newcastle has been holding small rallies at the Veterans Memorial Park at the corner of Main Street and River Road every Monday since July 2016.

“Every week at 4 p.m.,” said Suzanne Hendrick, who together with her husband Charles, has missed only two of the weekly sessions. “People United Against Racism are here, rain or shine. Usually we have 10 to 15 people.”

But on Monday, Aug. 14, the Monday after a weekend rally of white supremacy groups called “Unite the Right” in Charlottesville, Virginia left three dead and a score wounded and at least one young man arrested for murder, the numbers at the usually quiet, small rally in Newcastle were a little different.

At the height of the rally, 110 people were holding signs, waving flags and cheering the honks of passing motorists.

Hendrick said the idea for the weekly rallies came from a Martin Luther King interfaith service at the church in January 2016. “We had made a banner, and we had guest interfaith speakers, and over 200 people came for the service,” she said. “Our pastor came out and waved to the passing cars rather than greet people leaving the church, and we all followed her and did the same.”

People of all ages came out to stand in solidarity with the people of Charlottesville. Some of the youngest included Arlo Cohen – yes, named after Arlo Guthrie, he said–, age 6 and his sister, Jessica Cohen, 4. They made their own signs that read “Coexist.” Nearby, Vivian Simmons, 8, held a sign that read, “Love.”

Lee Warren runs a website called Indivisible and passes information on through her site and other channels, including Facebook, to invite people to come to the weekly rallies. “No one could have expected this turnout,” she said. “But I think people just wanted an event where they could offer support.”

Many drivers in cars and trucks honked in support as they passed the rally.