Demonstrators returned to the Pulse memorial site in Orlando on Sunday, one day after a demonstrator was attacked during a chalk protest outside the nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 mass shooting.
The confrontation, captured on video, showed a demonstrator being assaulted after what witnesses described as verbal threats. "He has been saying the entire time we should all die," said demonstrator Zane Aparicio, who goes by Cait. "It won’t be hard for him to acquire a weapon."
Despite the attack, people were back on Sunday, chalking messages on the sidewalk and calling for peace. Some carried fliers for an emergency rally in response to Saturday’s violence, but organizers said safety concerns prevented a large-scale gathering.
"I shouldn’t be here today, I should’ve been at one of the parks," said Stephen Astley, a visitor from London who witnessed the attack. "But I felt the need to come down today to show my support for something that was a travesty."
Other demonstrators echoed the call for unity. "We can’t allow this hatred in our community. It affects all of us," Melody Short said.
Astley said he was struck by the victim’s restraint during the assault. "I said, 'Why didn’t you retaliate?' He said, 'Because the minute I retaliate, it’s us that caused the problem.' And I kind of understood that."
Orlando police have not said whether anyone has been arrested in connection with the incident.