PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A group of Bill Cosby sexual assault accusers and their supporters gathered in Philadelphia Saturday to speak out against the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision to vacate his conviction.
It was an emotional evening for those who attended the vigil.
Small candles burned inside white paper bags with the names of Bill Cosby's alleged victims, numbering in the dozens.
Lili Bernard was one of those accusers. She explained how she felt when she first heard the news of his release.
"It was like a blow in the back of the head. It was total shock, utter disbelief," she said.
"I have six children. I was trying to go about my morning as a mom ... I literally cried for hours."
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Bernard and other survivors said they came to Independence Mall to show solidarity with one another.
"I feel like the justice system betrayed us," she said. "I also feel like the legal system is not about protecting survivors. [We suffer] a lot of setbacks like any war veteran would suffer. We suffer PTSD, character assassinations, betrayal, blaming, shaming, sometimes death threats. But this is just one, really one small step back."
In a previous statement, Cosby said he maintains his innocence, and thanked the state Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law. His accusers, however, said the fight is not over and that they will continue to stand up and speak out.