New Yorkers Join 'Stop Violence' Rally

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, July 27, 2003

New Yorkers Join 'Stop Violence' Rally

Hundreds of people gathered for a"Stop the Violence" rally Saturday to honor Councilman James Davis,who was killed Wednesday by a political rival inside New York City Council chambers.

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Hundreds of people gathered for a"Stop the Violence" rally Saturday to honor Councilman James Davis,who was killed Wednesday by a political rival inside New York City Council chambers.

The crowds gathered in front of the house where Councilman Davis lived in Brooklyn, one of the five boroughs of New York City.

On a makeshift stage, Al Sharpton, the featured speaker, praised Davis for his efforts to end violence and restrict gun use,and pledged unremitting efforts to go on with this endeavor even after his death.

"I want the family and the mother to know we will never let James' campaign to stop the violence end," Sharpton said. "James Davis lives now and forever in Brooklyn."

Davis was fatally shot by 31-year-old Othniel Askew shortly after the two men entered City Hall together Wednesday afternoon. Askew, who was planning to run against Davis in the upcoming primary election, was then shot and killed by a plainclothes officer.

Davis, a first-term Council member, was the founder of "Stop the Violence," a nonprofit group dedicated to ending violence in urban areas like the communities he represented in Brooklyn. He also served as the chair of the Juvenile Justice Committee, among other committees. In 1994, he helped stop Toys R Us from selling look-alike toy guns. That same year, he aggressively campaigned against MTV's broadcasting of music videos with violent images.

"This is a fitting memorial to his legacy," said Councilman Bill Perkins, who attended Saturday's rally, "that now we're all out here once again to stop the violence, and ironically, (violence) was the actual cause of his death."

A number of other events have been planned throughout the weekend to honor the slain councilman, including a candlelight vigil on Vanderbilt Avenue Saturday night.

Meanwhile, New Yorkers are honoring the memory of Davis outsidehis Brooklyn office, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg, lawmakers and the councilman's constituents are stopping by to pay their respects.

Earlier in the week, Bloomberg said the city will try to carry on the slain councilman's cause.

"We can pray for him. We can help his family. We can help his staff," Bloomberg said. "But mostly, we can build a better New York in his memory."

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