LYNN — After a number of recent violent incidents in the city, the community is taking to the streets to call for an end to gun violence.
City leaders, including representatives from groups like Lynn Youth Street Outreach Advocacy and Stop The Violence: Lynn and officials like Mayor Jared Nicholson, will march through Lynn on Saturday.
“We do a peace walk every September,” LYSOA Lead Outreach Advocate Antonio Gutierrez said. “This one is a little different… So much has happened.”
The event, which was originally supposed to take place last weekend before it was postponed due to rain, will begin at 10 a.m. by the Lynn English High School concession stand on Memorial Park Avenue, where there will be several speakers. Then, a march through the streets will end at Exchange Street for a speaking program at the Keep Moving Forward Festival, which is being held by Lynn Music Foundation.
“We are supportive of what’s been happening as far as creating ways for the community to be more unified and addressing some of the issues that have been happening,” Lynn Music Foundation Executive Director Edwin Cabrera said. “This is just an example of us collaborating to make that happen.”
The march will walk by a number of sites of recent violent incidents, including Essex Street, where two people were shot and killed on Sept. 2, and Lincoln Street, where another person was shot and killed later that day.
Gutierrez said that there will be a moment of silence at each of the stops to remember those the city has lost to the recent violence.
He added that several members of the community, including mothers of many of the victims, came forward and urged the community to hit the streets in support of change.
“Everybody’s talking but no one is doing anything,” Gutierrez said. “Talking is great… but nobody was really stepping up.”
Police Chief Chris Reddy said the department is grateful for the efforts of people like Gutierrez and Ward 6 City Councilor Fred Hogan, who runs Stop The Violence: Lynn.
“They help empower young people to embrace positive and healthy activities through their powerful message condemning violence in all its forms and gun violence in particular,” Reddy said. “We are grateful for their partnership.”
Nicholson also expressed his gratitude toward people like Gutierrez and Hogan for the work they do to curb violence in the city.
“The community is coming together over our shared belief that violence has no place in Lynn,” Nicholson said. “Now more than ever, we need to ensure residents are aware of the resources available to empower our residents and youth to seek positive pathways and alternatives to violence.”
