AFSC
PHILADELPHIA (January 15, 2026) On Saturday, Jan. 17, hundreds of Quakers and peace activists will gather in cities across the United States to engage in silent worship in opposition to the Trump administration’s violence and authoritarianism. Since the new year, the administration has bombed Venezuela, abducted the president, and is seizing Venezuelan oil. Federal agents have continued their campaign of mass deportation, shooting and killing Renee Nicole Good in front of her house in Minneapolis.
“We’ve seen the Trump administration use police and armed federal agents to intimidate and silence people who oppose their actions,” said Laura Boyce, who oversees U.S. programs for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). “Well, we’re not intimidated. We are gathering in Philadelphia – and in many other places across the country – to show that we do not consent to violence done in our names.”
Vigils will take place this weekend in New York, Memphis, Los Angeles, Boston/Cambridge, Berkeley, Des Moines, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington DC, and elsewhere. The vigils are part of a monthly effort organized by AFSC under the banner “Love as Action.” Though grounded in the Quaker tradition of silent worship, the events are open to people of all faiths. AFSC is a Quaker organization that has worked for peace and justice for more than a century.
“We gather in silent worship as an act of public witness against fear, violence, and authoritarianism—and in solidarity with communities facing harm and dehumanization,” said Brian Blackmore, director of Quaker engagement for AFSC. “Our faith calls us to recognize the Light of God in all people, and to honor our moral obligation to one another in the face of violence and oppression.”
To learn more, visit afsc.org/love-action.
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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine Light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.