Celebrate Carrie Fisher's Life at PDX Rebel Alliance's Solidarity Vigil

Gather at 7 pm at Pioneer Courthouse Square, bring costumes and signs and be ready to fight the Evil Empire.

(Lucasfilm)

Carrie Fisher, the legendary actor and writer who brought warmth, humor and strength to her portrayal of Princess Leia/General Organa in the Star Wars saga, passed away this morning at the age of 60. She had been hospitalized since December 23, when she suffered a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles.

The members of the Facebook group PDX Rebel Alliance are understandably devastated, and are hosting a vigil celebrating Fisher's life outside of Pioneer Courthouse Square at 7 pm tonight called "Carrie Fisher Solidarity Vigil," the Oregonian reported earlier today.

"I'm mourning everything this 2016," an organizer of the event told WW. "We're just a group of Star Wars nerds who want to get together and make sure that Carrie Fisher's life is honored. She inspired a lot of people to find the rebel in them, and call out oppressive Imperial bullshit when they see it."

PDX Rebel Alliance provides little information on their own page, but the event description speaks volumes:

"The Empire isn't just in the Star Wars universe. The Empire is here on Earth," says the event organizer, who would not identify themselves to the newspaper by name. "It's continuing to extract resources so they can fuel their genocidal war machine. It's continuing to exert values of white supremacy and patriarchy in our communities. Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia had no tolerance for that sort of stuff. I think it's important for us to acknowledge that in our own lives, to stand up and rise up against it."

Further, feel free to show your Star Wars spirit.

"Star Wars costumes are always amazing and encouraged," said the organizer. "If they want to bring signs to show how much they care about Carrie Fisher and the Rebellion, and that sort of stuff."

In a year defined for many by crushing political disappointment and the losses of great artists, rallying around the memory of Carrie Fisher and Star Wars' message of hope and unity may provide some solace. "After a long 2016, Rogue One was a really great movie for us to see what times we're in, and how to reflect back on them," said the organizer. "This also comes out of the inspiration that rebellions are built on hope."

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