100 students march against gun violence

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) - Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld and 100 scholars from the Children's Defense Fund Cincinnati-area Freedom Schools met at Washington Park on Monday to rally against gun violence in the community.

Participants marched to city hall, where Sittenfeld and other community leaders listened to students speak about the impact of gun violence in their lives and how they believe Cincinnati can become a safer city.

The Children's Defense Fund has launched a national campaign to curb violence against children. A young person in America is killed or injured every 30 minutes due to gun violence. In Cincinnati, just weeks ago, a 12-year-old girl was hit by a stray bullet in Price Hill.

The Children's Defense Fund reached out to Sittenfeld to help ensure that young people's voices and their experiences reach the ears of elected officials.

"The voice of young people isn't heard enough. They are important stakeholders too. They have good ideas on how to heal our community," Sittenfeld told FOX19's Jessica Brown.

"People are saying 'if' you grow up. It's not supposed to be 'if', it's 'when' we grow up. We need to make a change and that change is to stop gun violence," expressed 10-year-old Cameron Good.

Students from Cincinnati-area Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools took part in the march, including schools based at New Jerusalem Community Center in Carthage; Christ Emanuel Christian Fellowship in Walnut Hills; Ohio River Valley of the United Methodist Church in Avondale; and Cincinnati Public Schools in Mt. Auburn.

The Children's Defense Fund is a non-profit child advocacy organization that aims to ensure a level playing field for all children.

Learn more about the organization here: http://www.childrensdefense.org/