Hundreds grieve victims of gun violence
Mourners call on Congress to enact tougher gun laws at Grand Army Plaza vigil
COURIER LIFE, AUG. 9-15, 2019 3
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
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 (DQueens)
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 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 of people 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 Monday night 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.”