Newark Marches For Peace, Gang Leaders Meet For Truce Talks

NEWARK, NJ — A powerful statement against violence took place in Newark last weekend, with several local gang leaders reportedly agreeing to a partial truce treaty in the name of the #KingsStopKillingKings movement.

On Saturday, dozens of community members marched down Broad Street to Washington Park to rally for peace in the memory of late Grammy-nominated artist and community leader, Nipsey Hussle.

Led by hip hop artist Mysonne, Mayor Ras Baraka, organizers with The Gathering for Justice and a coalition of community groups, several gang leaders sat down before the march to discuss ways to reduce violence in the city.

The truce talks took inspiration from the #KingsStopKillingKings march that took place on April 14 in the Bronx, New York, which brought together gang leaders from the Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings and Black Spades in an effort to coordinate a city-wide gang truce.

• See related article: Huge Anti-Violence Rally In Newark Will Include Gang Truce Talks

Cassady Fendlay, a spokesperson with The Gathering for Justice, said that a “truce agreement” was ultimately reached between Newark gangs, block influencers and street organizations on Saturday night.

NJ.com shared some details from a draft version of the agreement distributed prior to the peace talks:

• Public places such as schools, houses of worship, recreation centers and funeral homes would be “designated buffer or neutral zones against violence”
• Gang members won’t use social media to “dispute, call for, glorify or insinuate the killing of a member of another organization”
• Gang members won’t intrude “upon each other’s community or neighborhood” without notice

Local groups and nonprofits such as the Brick City Peace Collective, Newark Antiviolence Coalition (NAVC), Newark Community Street Team, West Ward Victims Outreach, Newark Street Academy, STOP SHOOTING Inc., Live In Peace, 211 Community Impact and The K.I.N.G. Movement also lent support to the event.

Watch a clip from Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s plea to the community below.

The All Politics R Local radio show posted the below videos taken at Saturday’s march.

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