JERSEY CITY – On Tuesday, August 21 at 7:30 p.m. activists from various Jersey City organizations will hold a candlelight vigil for Maureen Chesney.
Chesney, who was homeless, was found dead on the steps of Old Bergen Church on Saturday, Aug. 11. According to friends, Chesney, 44, had gone to sleep on the church steps shortly after midnight and was found to be unresponsive at around 8 a.m. She was later pronounced dead to the scene.
The vigil will take place at McGinley Square, at Montgomery and Bergen avenues.
The vigil is being organized for former city council candidate and TV host Adela Rohena and community activist Austi Valcarcel. The vigil will include the participation of Jersey City Peace Movement, Truth-Media.info, Occupy Jersey City, the Jersey City Homelessness Advocacy Group (JC-HAG), and Jersey City – Truth, Action, Peace. Speakers invited include: Councilman David Donnelly, Councilwoman Nidia Lopez; Jersey City Peace Movement Director Erik-Anders Nilsson; JC-HAG President Esther Wintner; and community activists Imtiaz Syed and Riaz Wahid, among others.
The memorial will feature a special performance by local bagpiper Jonathan Detres.