Southland Displays Its Unity by Candlelight

From Studio City to Sherman Oaks along Ventura Boulevard, thousands of people clotted the sidewalks and clogged the streets of the San Fernando Valley on Friday night, clutching candles and waving flags in a spontaneous show of support and sympathy for those killed and injured in Tuesday’s terrorist attacks.

Dozens gathered on street corners. Others sat on lawn chairs. Some stood shoulder to shoulder singing the national anthem. Countless cars, festooned with U.S. flags, slowly cruised by, honking.

Benita Marti, 36, stood on a Sherman Oaks street corner holding a candle.

“First we were shocked. Then we were terrorized. Now we’re united,” she said.

Outside the valley, more vigils popped up from Northeast Los Angeles to Pico Rivera. In Hollywood, nearly 2,000 people gathered in three large vigils, said Los Angeles Police Officer Julie Boyer.

“This is some kind of American grass-roots show of support,” said Lt. David Storaker of the Van Nuys Division. “About 30 people even came by the station tonight. They saluted the flag and sang ‘God Bless America.’ ”

Andrew Riordan, 25, of Sherman Oaks, waved a flag and marveled at the turnout. “This is a beautiful thing.”

In Studio City, people carried candles, and some chanted “USA!”

On every corner people were waving American flags of every size. There were older people, children, people in wheelchairs, people with dogs.

Andrew Dibble, 34, of North Hollywood, heard about the gathering on the radio, picked up an American flag and headed to Ventura Boulevard. “This is the happiest I’ve been since Tuesday. It’s a relief.”