GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (WOOD) — Community members gathered across West Michigan on Saturday to hold silent marches to end gun violence.
It is a part of the Silence the Violence Month of Action, which started 17 years ago in Detroit. This was the second year of the silent march held in Grand Haven, which was a part of the month of action. It went from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Central Park.
Participants held up signs that read “silence the violence now” and “end gun violence” as they silently marched in downtown Grand Haven. Valerie Martin, the volunteer organizer of gun violence prevention efforts, said she is hopeful that change will happen but that the solution to stop gun violence will not be easy. She said it will take different people coming together for the similar goal of putting an end to gun violence.
“It’s an important event for every place in Michigan because there’s really no place that gun violence can’t be found, so every community needs to be working on this issue,” Martin said.
A similar silent march was held in Muskegon Heights on Saturday. It was also a part of the Silence the Violence Month of Action. Alongside the silent march, there was an expungement fair and gun safety event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lakehawks Community Center.
