About 80 people sang and chanted at the Soldiers’ Memorial Fountain in Oak Bluffs Saturday afternoon in support of counter-protests to the recent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va.

Organized by a group called Indivisible MVY, the rally included longtime Vineyard peace activists and clergy members.

Rallies against racism were held around the country Saturday, including in Boston.

The Civil War monument in Oak Bluffs was a gathering place for prayers, chanting and remarks. — Jeanna Shepard

At the Civil War statue in Ocean Park there were remarks, prayers and a moment of silence for Heather Heyer, who died in Charlottesville when a car drove into a crowd of peaceful marchers.

“It is our privilege and our duty as American citizens to raise our voices, to be seen and heard across the country,” event organizer Carla Cooper said. “Hate groups and white supremacy have no place in this nation.”

After a few rounds of song, including We Shall Overcome and This Little Light of Mine, people broke into small groups.

Some questioned the meaning of the location, debating a plaque on the Civil War statue that honors Confederate soldiers and a unified nation.

Charles Strahan, a former Confederate soldier and Vineyard newspaperman whose family had been divided by the Civil War, built the monument in 1891 as a symbol of reunifying the North and South.

“There should not be any homage paid to Confederate soldiers inside the Massachusetts . . . There should not be a single word of Confederacy on any of the statues,” said John Cheeks, who suggested removing three lines on the plaque paying tribute to Confederate soldiers.

“The big question is, why are we meeting here, near this statue, of all things? We’re really here to prevent this kind of thing,” said Doris Lubell.

Others disagreed. “The statue represents both sides of the Civil War . . . I think it’s totally appropriate that we’re here singing for and standing for and talking about openness and decency toward humanity,” said Alex Palmer.

Caroline Hunter suggested the rally was called for another reason. “The event today was about resisting what our president is doing. It’s not about this monument,” she said.