Peace march by community activists call for a halt in city violence

DETROIT (FOX 2) - On the corner of Rosa Parks and Davison, people from different grassroots organizations met up Friday night, as a city-wide peace march was held.

"We're sick of the violence and it has to stop," said Quincy Smith, Cease Fire Detroit. "We know that there is no one entity, one organization, one person that can't solve this problem. But if we unite as one, the whole city coming together, I think we can make a dent in the problem."

Force Detroit organized this Fund Peace March, they are asking for federal money from the American Rescue Plan to be invested in community-driven targeted programs to address gun violence.

"The closest people to the problem are the closest people to the solution," said Screal, an activist from Force Detroit. "We know how to fix our communities. We don't need any outside sources coming in saying this is this, this is that."

The recent freeway shooting death of 2-year-old Brison Christian has been a wake-up call for many.

"If that doesn't wake you up and cause you to to do something then nothing will," Smith said. "A little baby with his dad, and his life senselessly taken. It is tragic. It is horrible, it is horrific, that cannot happen again."