Students plan march against violence
The sensational deaths of a number of young people over the last few months, the daily reports of robberies, burglaries and other acts of crime and violence are never pleasant stories to have to tell, let alone experience. Now a group of SJC Junior College students want the community to put aside their fears and take a stand. They have called for a candlelight procession for Wednesday evening in Belize City. Organisers Marissa Longsworth and Souad Assaad, herself a victim of crime and violence, say they will use the deaths of Albert Hoy Junior, Leslie Rogers Junior and Eder Alamilla to tell the community that it is time to stop suffering in silence.
Souad Assaad, Organiser
?The purpose is to get the public to realise that crime in increasing drastically and that we need o take a stand. We need to take a stand from our voices, the youths; appealing to the public, the Belizeans to stand up. We need to stand up and say hey we are tried of crime. We are tired of being in fear of our lives. We can?t wear jewellery because we are afraid we are going to be thieved or whatever. So we need to take a stand. We need to be out there saying if you the get hurt I will help you. If I witness a murder I will open my mouth and say that is the person that did it. Only that way will we stop it or make it to a lesser extent.?
Patrick Jones
?How will marching in a procession help to reduce crime??
Marissa Longsworth, Organiser
?Marching in a procession will definitely help to reduce crime in a way that it will captivate an audience. It will bring up many issues that the public isn?t really aware of. Some of them they concentrate on only their community and what?s happening in their community or family ties or friends close to them. But what we?re going to bring out is that it?s happening everywhere and it?s happening to people from all walks of life. And we need to come together and fight against that.?
Patrick Jones
?You?re going to carry posters depicting people who have been killed or who have killed themselves. Why are you focussing on these people??
Souad Assaad
?Because these people have impacted our lives. They have been our friend, our family members. They have been people we?ve been associated with. We see them every day. So this is just a realisation that it?s hitting home. And it?s hitting hard.?
The procession will start from in front of the MCC Grounds, down Princess Margaret drive, into Baymen Avenue, across Cinderella Plaza and into Freetown road and will end up back at the SJC Campus. Longsworth says that at different intervals the procession will pause for moments of silence at spots along the route where lives have been lost. Wednesday’s event starts at 6 in the evening, and organizers are asking supporters to come dressed in either black or white, and bring a candle.
