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AUGUST 11, 2019, BROOKLYN WEEKLY
Hundreds grieve victims of gun violence
Mourners call on Congress to enact tougher gun laws at Grand Army Plaza vigil
BY AIDAN GRAHAM
Hundreds of mourners
gathered at Grand Army
Plaza on Monday to grieve
the recent victims of numerous
mass shootings
and to demand Congress
enact tougher gun laws.
“This is not just about
assault weapons — this is
about gun violence in all
of our communities,” Congressional
Rep. Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens)
said. “We have to do more.”
The Aug. 5 gathering
formed after a particularly
bloody 10-day stretch of gun
violence in both Brooklyn
and around the country.
Mass shootings in Brownsville,
California, Texas,
Ohio, and Crown Heights
combined to leave at least
55 injured and 36 dead, represented
at the vigil by candles
and empty shoes.
In New York City, shootings
are up from 426 this
time last year to 448 thus
far in 2019, according to
NYPD crime statistics.
Public Advocate Jumaane
Williams took the
microphone as the sun
set over Monday’s solemn
gathering, the former councilman
from Canarsie biting
back tears as he railed
against the senseless nature
of the violence tearing
communities apart.
“I’m so tired of these
vigils and these candles,”
he said. “This is a plague
on this country. And what’s
worse — this is the most
preventable plague that
this planet has ever seen. It
is 100 percent preventable.”
The vigil-turned-rally
focused predominantly on
gun legislation, but Borough
President Eric Adams
expressed disappointment
in the reaction to the July
27 shooting at a street fair
in Brownsville that left one
dead and 11 others injured,
arguing that the political
impact of the carnage was
mollifi ed by the race of the
victims.
“If the shooting in
Brownsville would’ve happened
on Park Avenue instead
of Park Place, we
would have a different response
in this city and in
Brooklynites gathered in Grand Army Plaza on Aug. 6 for a candlelight vigil to mourn the victims of multiple recent mass shootings. Photos by Jon Farina
this country,” he said. “A
mother does not mourn
differently based on the
ethnicity of her baby, she
mourns anytime she loses
a child.”
And while the speakers
blamed loose gun regulations
for enabling mass
murderers, they pointed
the fi nger at President
Trump for empowering
them to act.
“Individuals are emboldened
by racist rhetoric
coming from the highest
of offi ces, who refuses
to understand the power of
his words,” said New York
State Attorney General Letitia
James. “What we need
to do is inspire individuals
and bring people together
and talk about our aspirations
as a nation.”
The freshman congresswoman
from Queens was
even less diplomatic in her
critique of the president.
“I’m tired of questioning
if the president is racist,”
said Ocasio-Cortez.
“He is.”
Hundreds gathered to demand concrete steps to prevent future
mass shootings like the ones in Brownsville, El Paso and Dayton.
Demonstrators demanded that elected leaders enact stricter, concrete
gun control measures.
Borough President Eric Adams organized the event after multiple
people were killed in mass shootings, including one in
Brownsville on July 27.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasted President
Donald Trump, saying his rhetoric is “directly responsible for
what happened in El Paso.”