CHICAGO (AP) — Hundreds of people carrying crosses for each person slain in Chicago this year have marched quietly along Michigan Avenue.
The 3-feet-tall crosses were each engraved with the name of a homicide victim. The silence of Saturday’s march was broken by demonstrators who spoke the names aloud. Authorities say more than 760 people were killed in Chicago in 2016. There were fewer than 500 homicides in the city last year.
March organizer the Rev. Michael Pfleger says he hopes the visuals of the protest along Chicago’s premiere retail street will inspire people to take action to reduce violence in 2017. He noted the violence won’t end until all city residents decide it’s their problem.
After Saturday’s march, the crosses will be placed in a vacant lot on the city’s South Side.
