“Catharsis on the Mall: A Vigil for Healing the Drug War” was held on the National Mall this weekend, culminating in the burning of a structure on Saturday night in front of the Washington Monument.

The structure, known as the “Temple of Essence,” was designed to be a “peace-building structure that offers a space for healing personal and collective trauma, engaging community, and allowing the release of negative energy,” according to a press release about the event.

“It’s about expressing our frustration with the war on drugs and the societal trauma it causes,” John Christian Menocal, an organizer for the event, said.

Video by Luca Silveira