At a Friday night vigil organized by Mr. Riley at TD Arena at the College of Charleston, the mayor received a standing ovation. The large and diverse crowd sat quietly, as Mr. Riley spoke at length about Charleston\u2019s role in the slave trade and its long battle to overcome that history.<\/p>\n
By Saturday, an aide said Mr. Riley\u201d\u201dlike many Charleston residents\u201d\u201dwas exhausted, and couldn\u2019t be reached for interviews. The aide said the mayor would spend Father’s Day with his family and likely wouldn\u2019t be at Sunday\u2019s planned march across the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, an iconic part of the city\u2019s landscape.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s done a wonderful job,\u201d\u009d said Dwayne Greene, a prominent black African-American activist. \u201cHe was there the night of the shooting. He made a very compassionate statement, and the city has done everything it can to bring people together.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Mr. Riley, after decades in the job, will leave office this year after his term ends.<\/p>\n