“Human rights (are) important and defending them in the way that Amnesty does, through education and pressuring governments … is something that is done very peacefully,” Skervin said.
Nearly 15 students attended the vigil and took take a few moments to remember, and be conscious, of those victims.

At the vigil, participants were handed a card with the name and story of a person who was a victim of the mass shooting at a Sikh Gurdwara outside of Milwaukee, Wis., in early August, or has been imprisoned unfairly. The students then read the name and the story out loud, followed by a moment of silence to light a candle to recognize each case.

Tera Warn, publicity chair of MSU Amnesty International, said the vigil is an annual event the group hosts in the fall. She said it is significant for students and all people to be aware of these sorts of social injustices.

“It’s just important to be aware of what’s going on and (to) be aware that injustices are occurring and to show the world and people who are victims that people do care about them,” the social work junior said. “So, we can spread the news and bring awareness to it.”

Arabic and English freshman Brady Ryan said he was active in Amnesty International in high school and when he came to college, he decided to get involved in MSU’s chapter, attending the vigil Wednesday.

“A lot of times we don’t think about freedoms, for the most part, (that) we have in America,” Ryan said. “This is a really cool opportunity to reflect on the things that we do have and look at what maybe we should change.”