Over 500 people carrying #JCUNITY signs joined the Jersey City Anti-Violence Coalition Movement for their 2nd Annual Unity Walk against violence, beginning at Mcadoo Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive and ending at Lincoln Park.
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“Jersey City needs to come together in order for the violence to stop, so we are excited to see the leadership of Pam Johnson and so many other people,” Jersey City Board of Education Trustee Pastor Luis Felipe Fernandez told Hudson County View.
“The coming together, difference nationalities, different parts of the city the area that has been ridden with violence.â€
Also in the crowd was former Jersey City Ward F council candidate Michael Griffin, who explained that there were between “100 – 200 people at the start of the walk,†but as they made their way towards Lincoln Park, people from the neighborhood joined in and brought the total number of participants to about 500.
“Basically, what we do is we come together in a moment of solidarity to people who fell to acts of violence. It’s also about educating people and show that we can come together as a community,†shared Griffin.
2017 Jersey City mayoral candidate Bill Matsikoudis added that he joined the walk because of the significance behind it.
“This is an important showing of people coming together that say we want to be ‘A’, unified and ‘B; we want to live in a peaceful society without violence. And people coming together like this demonstrates that we don’t want to tolerate anyone in our community engaging in violence and I think it’s really important, and I’m happy to be part of it.”
Before the walk began, Hot 97’s DJ and Radio Host Shani Kulture stated that “We come together as adults, who know better, who do better and try to change our environment.â€
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and Council President Rolando Lavarro led the walk.