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PUBLISHED ON EDITION NO.
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350L
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12/8/2010 |
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March United for Peace |
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Singing
hymns and carrying signs calling for peace in Lawrence, a
group of about 200 people, defiant of the cold weather,
gathered at Campagnone Common at the corner of Common with
Jackson Street.
Around 1:00 PM, they started a march that took them up Essex
Street to Broadway, where they made a stop to pray,
continuing later on along Broadway.
At the corner of Haverhill and Broadway, they stopped a
second time and several church officials spoke, among them,
Rose Marie Baxton, President of Merrimack Valley Project,
calling for the end of violence in Lawrence.
Participants continued walking through Broadway and then
turned onto Daisy, Myrtle and Lawrence streets, ending at
Hayden Schofield Playground for a final prayer.
The march, which started with an estimate of 200
participants, by the time it reached Broadway, it had grown
to close to 700 participants. Along Broadway more people
keep joining the marchers.
Worried by the escalating violence the city is facing, Deiby
De Jesus, a member of Ebenezer Church, organized the march
with the help of his pastor, the Rev. Victor Jarvis, as well
as other pastors and members of other churches in the city.
Lawrence Mayor William Lantigua was very grateful to
participate. "I thank the organizers for inviting me. I am
glad that churches are helping me spread the message against
violence," he said. "Although the temperature was cold,
people were motivated to participate in the peace march."
When Lantigua saw some of the relatives who could not speak
seized with emotion, he said, "My deepest condolences to
those relatives. We are doing everything possible to
eradicate violence but we will only succeed if the community
at large begins to cooperate letting us know where they are
doing business such as selling illegal drugs. Although not
all those who died were involved in drugs, they were also
victims of violence,” said Mayor Lantigua.
"What I enjoyed the most was the involvement of the people,"
said Council President Frank Moran who also walked all the
way. The churches want to work with the council and the
administration to improve the problem. The ministers always
send that message to their parishioners in churches but now
they are bringing it to the community," concluded Mr. Moran.
Organizer of the march will have a follow up public forum on
December 15 at 6:00PM at the Lawrence Public Library.
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Pastor Rafael
Blanco of Christian Church of Getsemani, reads a passage
from the Sacred Book to the marchers at the intersection of
Essex and Broadway. Father Joel Almono, of Grace Episcopal
Church stands behind Rev. Blanco. Power 800 mobile unit
offered audio to the marchers. |
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Anny Arroyo,
walked with a picture of her brother Kelvin David Martinez,
killed on November 5, 2010 in his backyard, while walking
his dog. |
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Jumping for
peace, Reverend Victor Jarvis, Pastor of Ebenezer Church
kept the people motivated along the route. |
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