“Together for peace”: shaken by the many shootings that have taken place in their community in recent weeks, Laval residents gathered under this theme on Saturday afternoon to march against armed violence and demand measures to security in residential neighborhoods.
The demonstrators, including several families, met at Place Raymond-Martin at 1 pm, at the invitation of the Place Saint-Martin working committee and the provincial deputy for Laval-des-Rapides, Saul Polo.
We wanted to symbolically take a walk, reclaim the area and work on preventionexplanation of one of the organizers, Lucie Lanthier.
” We want area residents to feel at home, not be afraid to go out and go to the parks, take walks and enjoy the beautiful weather. “
On Wednesday, a 42-year-old man linked to organized crime was shot and killed while having dinner at a restaurant on boulevard des Laurentides, in the Vimont district.
Last month, Laval was the scene of three shootings over several days, including two in the sunshine in front of children.
Citizens who took part in the march said they experienced fear, and some were holding posters saying they feared they would be the next victim.
You have to understand that Laval, last year, had 43 armed incidents in the territory. It is more than the city of Montreal in proportion to its populationsaid the march’s co-organizer Liberal MP Saul Polo.
There is a great sense of inquiry from the citizens of Laval. I know a lot of police work is done, but despite that, there are always incidents. Today’s event is the result of citizens and organizations saying to themselves, “we must send a strong message”.
Source: Radio-Canada
