"This is what peace looks like" was just one of the many chants that filled the streets of Buffalo today during the March to End Gun Violence.
Community partners and neighbors gathered together to honor the lives lost to gun violence.
"I'm a young person born and raised in the city of Buffalo," said Alia Williams, the Voices Influence Building Equity "VIBE" organizer of VOICE Buffalo. "I know many people, whether it be friends or family members, who have lost their life through gun violence."
With June being Gun Violence Awareness Month, this march was an opportunity to facilitate meaningful conversations about the issue.
"[This march shows] the importance of conversation among community members and understanding that we are the ones who need to be talking about what the solutions are," said Williams.
This idea of starting a conversation was a common theme within the march.
"That's why we're doing this walk," said Asim Johnson, a member of the Healthcare Education Project. "We want to be very visible in the community, meeting people where they are, with the hopes that folks will come out and be engaged in real conversations."
The issue of gun violence not only impacts Buffalo, but the entire nation as well. Ace Picasso, who was visiting Buffalo for the first time from Tennessee, is looking forward to spreading the word to his stomping grounds.
"This is one of the reasons why I'm out here. Back home in Memphis, we have a lot of gun violence and I need to bring this [ending gun violence] back home," said Picasso.
Today's march ended in the Martin Luther King Jr. Park, where neighbors listened to speakers and enjoyed some food.
