200 People Attend Candlelight Vigil for Non Violence

On April 4, close to 200 people attended a twilight candlelight vigil hosted by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chairman Mark Ridley-Thomas.

The tribute, which was held on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's death also marked the end of the Season for nonviolence and also served as a statement of hope and against all forms of violence.

Among the dignitaries that attended were Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and civil rights leader Rev. James Lawson.

"Hold your candle high against domestic violence, against elder abuse, against child abuse, against gun violence," said Chairman Ridley-Thomas.  “We hold our candles high against all forms of violence.”

The “Season for Nonviolence,” which was established by the grandson of Mohandas K. Gandhi, Arun Gandhi, is a yearly event celebrating the philosophies and the two legendary practitioners of nonviolence: Gandhi and King. The "Season" begins with the anniversary of Gandhi's assassination on January 30, and it ends April 4, on the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination.

"I echo Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words when he stated that nonviolence requires courage, intelligence and perseverance," Ridley-Thomas said, adding that Gandhi taught, "Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man."

Tanisha Denard of the Youth Justice Coalition, an advocacy group for incarcerated youth and their families, said during the ceremony that all young people need to be given a chance at a good education, at a job and self dignity.

Rev. James Lawson said, "Gandhi left us a tremendous heritage when he told us to show our love in action and practice… We must continue to fight to dismantle this love of the gun and this mistrust of people. There cannot be a nation of peace until we are a nation of justice."

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