A pro-democracy public vigil will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 18 at Waypoint Park in downtown Winslow, one of many such gatherings slated to occur in cities across the country.

Candles will be lit at sundown.

Organizers of the campaign, “Confront Corruption,” said the gatherings were to raise awareness of recent government misbehavior and dishonesty.

“Officials are trading on the power invested in our institutions for personal and financial gain rather than for the welfare of the American people,” they said. “From attacks on the Russia investigation to ethics scandals in the highest offices in the land, we must reject attempts to shield corruption from political consequences, public scrutiny, and legal accountability.

“These issues are on top of years of challenges to the basic health of our democracy: from money in politics to attempts to shape congressional districts to manipulate outcomes and laws written intentionally to exclude voters from participating in our democracy.”

More than 100 cities are expected to see “Confront Corruption” rallies, which, organizers announced, are intended as a response to the recent meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Donald Trump’s statements in Helsinki at his press event with Vladimir Putin were of historic concern,” they said. “From attacks on the institutions that exist to hold our leaders to account- the press and law enforcement – to rampant conflicts of interest, ethics violations and the flagrant abuse of government offices for personal gain, the degradation and corruption of the American government by this President, his associates and many in his party has reached a profound new low.”

Visit www.confrontcorruption.org to learn more.