South Siders March for Peace After Heartbreaking Week

Chicago, IL - The outspoken Pastor Fr. Michael Pfleger at St. Sabina Church in the city’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood holds a neighborhood “peace march” every Friday night in the summer.

Supporters of Pfleger’s anti-violence message walk through more than a mile’s worth of streets in the South Side neighborhood shouting slogans they hope will make people think twice before picking up a gun.
But the march this week was a bit different. In the wake of three high-profile acts of violence in the United States, this week it seemed more meaningful.

“This is a painful time for our country,” Pfleger said while addressing a crowd of well more than 100 outside St. Sabina Friday night. “We want to make it clear that violence is never an acceptable answer and injustice is never an acceptable behavior.”

In one of the city’s roughest neighborhoods, the peaceful marchers were greeted by car horn after car horn from those who supported the message.

Marchers shouted the phrases "Stop the violence," "Put the guns down," "Can't wait 'til later," "Black Lives Matter" and yes, "All Lives Matter."

Some left leaflets with the words “Put the Guns Down” in large font on car windshields as the march turned down 80th Street east of Ashland. Just prior to that, Pfleger paused at the Family Dollar on Ashland near 79th for a prayer in honor of the 30-year-old employee killed by gunfire while attempting to detain a shoplifter.

This week’s march also saw appearances from a pair of celebrity supporters.

Nick Cannon, a rapper, comedian and entrepreneur, said it’s a “trying time for the country and the world.” He came to march in Chicago Friday night to “show love and support for the community.”

“Because this community has always shown love and support for me.”

J’Marcus Webb, an offensive tackle for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and a former member of the Chicago Bears, said he too was back in town “to support peace.”

Faced with questions regarding the possible cancellation of the event due to the fatal shooting of five police officers in Dallas, Texas the night before, Pfleger told the Tribune earlier in the day that the march for peace is more important now than ever.

As it really is a march for peace. All peace. Not just in response to the fatal police-involved shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota, but in protest of the mass killing of police officers in Dallas the night before as well.

Pfleger has been a known critic of police officers who shoot young black men under questionable circumstances, but his frustration is more often than not focused on the shootings that take place on the city streets of Chicago everyday.

“We condemn violence of all kinds,” he said proudly outside the church in front of signs stating “Our children have the right to grow up” and “turn in your guns here...no questions asked.”

“Whether you are in a car, selling CDs or as a member of police, violence is never acceptable.”