Civil Rights and Gun Reform Groups Host Rally to Denounce Hate and Demand Action

Fighting Hate & Bias News 08.5,19

Voto Latino, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, LCLAA and MoveOn Join Social and Labor Justice Organizations to Lead Protest

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES
Contact: Kristen Voorhees, [email protected], 202.548.7166

WASHINGTON – Voto Latino, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, MoveOn, the Service Employees International Union, Labor Council For Latin American Advancement, and American Federation of Teachers will host a joint rally with a coalition of national civil rights and gun violence prevention groups on Tuesday, August 6 at 12:00 PM ET at Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. The groups will demand that Donald Trump cease his racist, violence-inducing attacks on the Latinos, immigrants and communities of color, and urge the Senate to pass H.R. 8, a Bipartisan Background Checks Act already passed by the House.

The number of mass shootings in America in 2019 is currently set to outpace the number of days this year, reaching 251 as of Sunday, with more than 100 people shot in the last week alone. Many of these attacks — from El Paso and the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh to the Kroger parking lot in Kentucky and Pulse nightclub in Orlando — are a direct result of poisonous white supremacist ideology stoked by this president. The El Paso massacre was the second deadliest attack carried out by a white supremacist since the Oklahoma City bombing. 

This weekend’s tragedy marks the largest slaughter of Latinos by gunfire in a domestic hate-based incident in modern U.S. history. The attacks in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio killed more Americans in 24 hours than the number of American troops killed in Afghanistan in 2017 and 2018 combined. Earlier in the same week, the Gilroy Garlic Festival rampage took the lives of three innocent young people, including a 6-year-old boy.

The impact of Trump’s racist rhetoric and policies cannot be ignored when white supremacists— many of whom name him in their attacks and cite him in their hate manifestos— murder innocent people of color. It is not enough for Republican leadership in Congress to offer thoughts and prayers, nor should they repeatedly blame gun violence on mental illness—an unfounded and harmful trope. They must unequivocally denounce this violence, pass laws to stop it, and prevent the rise of white supremacy.

Who:

  • Voto Latino
  • The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights 
  • MoveOn 
  • Labor Council For Latin American Advancement
  • United We Dream
  • Service Employees International Union 
  • Planned Parenthood Action Fund
  • NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
  • American Federation of Teachers
  • Muslim Advocates
  • March for Our Lives
  • Human Rights Campaign
  • Interfaith Alliance

What:
National organizations will convene to demand the Trump administration and Congress fix the nation’s broken gun laws, denounce acts of mass violence by white supremacists, and cease racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies coming from the White House. The groups will also demand Mitch McConnell reconvene the Senate to pass HR8, a Bipartisan Background Checks Act that was passed by the House five months ago.

Where:
Lafayette Square: 16th Street NW and H Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

When:
Tuesday, August 6, 2019 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET

Media Contact:
Media asked to RSVP with Maritza Huerta at [email protected]. 

Per National Park Service guidelines, news media may not store nor place any equipment on the grounds of Lafayette Square. This includes tripods. All cameras must be handheld.  No power, storage or other facilities will be provided at the rally.

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Voto Latino is a pioneering civic media organization that seeks to transform America by recognizing Latinos’ innate leadership. Through innovative digital campaigns, pop culture, and grassroots voices, we provide culturally relevant programs that engage, educate and empower Latinos to be agents of change. Together, we aim to build a stronger and more inclusive democracy. 

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org

MoveOn is where millions mobilize and organize for a better society—one where everyone can thrive. Whether it’s supporting a candidate, passing legislation, or changing our culture, MoveOn members are committed to an inclusive and progressive future. We envision a world marked by equality, sustainability, justice, and love. And we mobilize and organize together to achieve it.

Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.