More than 350 people gathered at Five Corners in Vineyard Haven Saturday morning to join a nationwide protest against U.S. immigration policies.

The Rev. Alden Besse, pastor, sailor, president of the Martha’s Vineyard Peace Council and spiritual leader of the Vineyard Crop Walk, died on Dec. 13.

Peace activists gathered at the Gay Head Lighthouse at sunrise on Thursday in remembrance of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years ago. Some were first timers at the vigil, but for others it’s an annual tradition.

The Martha’s Vineyard Peace Council will hold its annual Hiroshima Day vigil on August 6 at sunrise at the Gay Head Light.

Years ago, in Whitinsville, the Rev. Alden Besse was asked to participate in a Memorial Day parade. “I thought, what can I carry? Lots of people carry guns and I’ll carry a pruning hook,” he recalled.

A diverse collection of Vineyard residents, including ministers, mothers and small business owners, came together at a rally on Tuesday in Vineyard Haven to call for a peaceful resolution to last week's terrorist attack in New York city and Washington, D.C.

They urged thought before action, and warned against decisions fueled by emotion rather than rational deliberation.

"Anger can be like a mighty, rushing flood that destroys or channeled like a stream. Let it be redeemed and well-used and channeled in creative ways," said the Rev. Alden Besse.