LAFAYETTE, L.a — Members of Gethsemane Church of God in Christ, local activist group Village 337, and the greater Lafayette community came together on Sunday to rally against violence in the area.
People from all over the Hub City gathered to peacefully protest. Their focus? Violent crimes of all kinds. Those attending rallied through prayer, music, and worship. Among the attendees was newly-appointed Interim Chief of Police Wayne Griffin.
Gethsemane's Bishop Alton Gatlin told KATC the final straw was when a man was shot just steps away from his church earlier this month. He said the Lafayette community cannot afford to lose another life so recklessly.
"We're not going to take this laying down, but we're going to fight back through prayer, through walking our streets, through teaching and mentoring our young people," Gatlin said. "So that this kind of thing will stop happening in Lafayette."
Clancy Ratliff lives in Lafayette. A member of Village 337, she said she is lucky enough to not have experienced this violence first-hand. She does, however, feel that local officials need to be more considerate in their decision-making.
Village 337 president and director Devon Norman said the first step to achieving this is by getting involved.
"Become registered to vote, and get people my age and younger voting," Norman said. "Then we can change what our politics look like and we can change what our community looks like."
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers
