WHEN: Sunday, June 12, sundown (8:30p.m.)
WHERE: Pennsylvania Ave in front of White House
CONTACT: Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK, 415-235-6517, medea@codepink.org
Members of the DC community will express our grief at this monstrous attack and offer our condolences to the families and loved ones of all those killed or injured. Along with a call for support to the LGBTQ community, we will call for peace toward our Muslim communities that may be targeted as a result of this horrific incident. We also want to show support to Muslims who belong to the LGBTQ community, and call for a ban on assault weapons.
Statement by CODEPINK:
Our hearts are heavy and we are filled with sadness and outrage in the wake of the shooting that occurred on June 11th at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, leaving 50 people dead and 53 injured. The fact that this tragedy happened during celebrations for the month of pride for the LGBTQ community compounds this tragedy as a targeted hate crime, sending shock waves throughout the nation at a peak of a celebration of life and joy in diversity.
What can we do every day to foster a greater spirit of community, love, and safety for ourselves and those around us? As a nation, we must address the epidemic of gun violence that is rampant in our county before more innocent lives are lost. We must seek ways to counter all forms of intolerance, prejudice and extremist views that incite violent, hateful behavior. The response to the Orlando attack by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, calling on Muslims to donate blood for injured victims, is an example of this.
Preventing hate crimes, gun violence, and discrimination must be at the forefront of our priorities as a country, and we must strive more than ever to build bridges of understanding between ourselves and others. Our lives, and the lives of our loved ones, literally depend on it.
