Community Groups to Hold Anti-Violence Night Walk Friday

Community groups will hold the first anti-violence night walk on the west side of Union City Friday night. 

“There’s a misconception that everything happens on the east side, but the west side of Union City also has its share of youth-related violence,” said Christopher Cara, youth services director at Filipino Advocates for Justice, one of the groups leading the march. “We’re trying to bring the same level of awareness to youth violence prevention and visibility on this side.”

The anti-violence walk will begin at 8 p.m. at the Filipino Advocates for Justice office at 3961 Horner St.

It will be the third anti-violence demonstration in Union City since the deaths of Daniel Garcia-Sanchez, 21, and Carlos Estrada-Partida, 18, who were shot and killed 33400 block of 11th Street on Aug. 25. 

The peace marches are the efforts of the Youth Violence Coalition — a consortium of local parents, students and community organizations such as Congregations Organizing for Renewal, Filipino Advocates for Justice and the Union City Pastor’s Alliance. The coalition was formed in 2007 in response to a rash of youth-related violence, including the death of 17-year-old Biniam Yifru, who was gunned down at a house party on June 23, 2007.

According to the coalition, it has engaged more than 700 individuals in anti-violence efforts and was critical in passing Measure UU, a parcel tax that funds Union City’s Youth and Family Services. The measure provides funding to support youth violence prevention and intervention services, case management, job training, counseling, crisis support and positive alternatives for youth such as Youth and Family Services’ boxing program.

The measure will expire in 2017.

The night walks are a way to keep the community “energized” and informed of the services offered by Youth and Family Services, Cara said.

“The program is very important,” Cara said. “We’d like to position the community to actually support renewed funding for Youth and Family Services when that time comes.”

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