Community demonstration against gun violence taking place Saturday at Detroit’s Gorham Playground
This weekend, concerned citizens and activists will take to the streets in an effort to end senseless gun violence, especially against children.
DETROIT (FOX 2) – This weekend, concerned citizens and activists will take to the streets in an effort to end senseless gun violence, especially against children.
“You think that one bad decision can affect generations,” Negas Vu said.
It’s a message that Negus Vu, founder of The Peoples Action, hopes these young people take to heart, and one he and others will train at home on Saturday with Stop Killing Our Babies.
It’s their third annual march and rally against senseless gun violence. Detroit has seen more than enough.
“This 12-year-old girl who was recently shot in the park by an 18-year-old was at least the 50th child to be shot here in the city of Detroit.”
The effort was born out of the death of Francesca Marks, the mother of seven shot in 2019 when an argument on a basketball court turned into a shooting. Marks was hit while protecting his children.
The last two rallies were held in Rouge Park where Marks was killed.
This year it’s Gorham Playground in the Seven Mile and Greenfield area. The location could not be more strategic.
“We asked to find out through DPD data which neighborhood has the highest volume of gun violence and crime, and particularly on the west side,” Negas Vu said. “And this is one of the chosen areas.”
Vu noted that in many cases, the people pulling the triggers are young people.
“What we’re seeing with these kids shooting other kids, that’s an outcry, right?” he said “It’s a sign that says we need attention, we need love. You need to focus on us.”
The Detroit Police Department is reaching out to Vu and The Peoples Action to bolster their efforts.
“DPD, we can’t do this job without our other organizations, so we have to come together as a collective to make things happen,” said Second Deputy Chief Kyra Joy Hope.
Hope says efforts like this help build trust between police and the public.
“I’ve been out here talking to the kids, talking to the girls, telling them who I am, and they’re like, ‘I can stay connected,'” she said. “What’s great? You have a dynamic conversation and you’re being very transparent. They look at me in my jeans and shirt, and I feel like them.”
“We need more seniors, more senior men and women in our urban communities every day to show them love and care,” Vu said. “Letting them know that there’s somebody here who cares about them. These kids feel like nobody cares about them. So if nobody cares about them, then, ‘Why should I care about anybody?'”
The Stop Killing Our Babies march and rally will be at Gorham Playground in Pembroke and St Marys from 2pm to 7pm. There will be bounce houses, free food, live performances and cash prizes for the kids with the best business ideas.
The event is free and open to the public.
