EAST WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn (WABC) — Williamsburg Charter High School held a Say No to Gun Violence Rally and Petition Signing today in Brooklyn.
The rally was planned in response to the shooting of two students and a staff member outside of the charter school in February and the tragic school shooting in Nashville this week.
At the time of the shooting, school administrators released a statement pledging to cooperate with the investigation and promising to meet with government officials about the recent uptick in violence.
As a result of the shooting, teachers and staff formed a community coalition called GROW, with the goal of curbing youth gun violence in and around Brooklyn.
The rally included students, staff members and representatives from the New Yorkers Against Gun Violence and marched from the school to Justice Gilbert Ramirez Park.
They protested youth gun violence, recited poems and shared testimonies about youth gun violence in the community.
Principal Jahi Bashir spoke at the rally. “We are angry. We are outraged. Parents are scared. Students are scared, right. So we’ve got to do more to stop this.”
Students and staff ended today’s activism by scanning and signing a petition they will present to city and state legislators. It calls for expanded partnerships with police, more information sharing between schools, and additional funding for counselors and psychologists.
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