SPOKANE, Wash. — A vigil Monday evening honored the life of late homeless activist Alfredo Llamedo.
Llamedo died more than a week ago after a battle with liver disease. He was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in August 2018, followed by Hepatic Encephalopathy.
The vigil was held at 5 p.m. in front of City Hall, the site of November's "Camp Hope" protest.
Llamedo was the driving force behind the protest, where dozens of demonstrators formed a wall around homeless residents’ tents and belongings. The protesters, many of whom were homeless themselves, were concerned about homeless residents’ well-being amid cold temperatures and inadequate shelter space.
Llamedo was also known in Spokane as a voice behind many grassroots movements advocating for homeless residents and an adamant opponent of the city’s “sit and lie” ordinance.
"He loves being apart of that stuff. He wants people to understand that we need change. It's important to him and he's got a great voice for it," said his daughter, Amanda.
Amanda said the love that has poured in since her father's passing has been nothing short of abundant. Those actions give her faith that Camp Hope will keep growing, and that her father's work will continue to move on and help those in need.
"It's been amazing... It makes us all feel loved and it makes us feel that he was very important to the community... and it's a great feeling," she said.
Llamedo's final address to Spokane
In July, Llamedo’s friend Joan Medina announced that he was imminently dying and under hospice care. He made the choice to no longer drink fluids or eat due to his medical condition.
In late July, Llamedo delivered his final address to Spokane residents in front of City Hall.
"I am the transmitter. My job is to get the message out there. Whether or not the receivers are getting it is not important to me," Llamedo said in July. "Today some of you out there are going to turn into transmitters."
At the end of his address, Llamedo asked residents for to deliver his message for him.
“Don’t let us be identified by those who hate," he said. "Be loving, be caring, be compassionate. Don't turn your back on those in the community who need you most. Step up. Do the right thing and help them."
Tributes pour in for Llamedo
Tributes to Llamedo began pouring in across social media after his death
“Earlier today our hearts were heavy to learn of the passing of our beloved Alfredo Llamedo. It was a comfort to know he was surrounded by loved ones,” Medina wrote on Facebook late Sunday night.
Several members of the Camp Hope Facebook group said they were camping out in front of City Hall on Sunday night to honor Llamedo’s memory.
One of the tents remains on Monday morning in the same spot where Llamedo protested the "sit and lie" ordinance in November with a hunger strike in front of City Hall.
Llamedo’s daughter Amanda posted in that same group, thanking its members for loving her father and “being his friend…to the very end.”
“You all are the reason why he passed so comfortably and happy, I believe he was surrounded by love and that's exactly what he wanted to the very end. Thank you all so much from me and my daddy Alfredo,” Amanda Llamedo wrote.
Llamedo’s daughter Alejandra announced that she and her sister are planning to host candlelight vigil around City Hall for their father on Sept. 23.
Groups of community activists and political figures also honored Llamedo’s memory on social media.
“In memory and honor of Alfredo we will continue this fight against religious extremism. Our community lost a champion of justice today but his light will forever shine bright in our hearts. He stood with Planned Parenthood and so do we. Let's do him proud,” wrote Spokane United Against Religious Extremism and The Church at PP.
The Spokane Homeless Coalition expressed condolences to his friends.
Lisa Brown, who challenged Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and now serves as the state Director of Commerce, shared a tribute of her own to Llamedo.
“I loved your name, your spirit, and your unabashed accounts of how you saw the privileged shunning the impoverished and what could and should be done about it. Thank you for being my friend, my supporter, and for holding me accountable!” Brown wrote on Facebook.
Brown also served as the former Senate Majority Leader in the Washington House of Representatives and Chancellor of Washington State University Spokane.
Robbi Katherine Anthony, who challenged Al French in the November race for Spokane County Commissioner in District 3, remembered the words Llamedo shared in his final address.
“In his final public speech, he asked folks to become transmitters. People to carry on his work, his message, and his relentless tenacity to make the world a better place for those with less. To ‘get the message out.’ While his life has ended, his legacy begins. Let us strive to live up to it,” Anthony wrote.