UPPER MANHATTAN — A week after the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., left 27 dead, uptown campaigners are showing their support for an end to gun violence at nightly vigils.
Gatherings have been held throughout the week, including in Isham Park, the Riverside-Inwood Neighborhood Garden in Inwood and in Bennett Park in Hudson Heights, in support of the families of the victims.
"We want to let them know that we stand with them," said Susan Ryan, one of the organizers of the Inwood vigils.
"It doesn't matter whether or not you were connected to someone, we stand with them."
"There's too much violence in our society," said Annette Aguilar, an Inwood musician who organized a vigil in Isham Park on Thursday.
State Senator Adriano Epsaillat, who attended Thursday's vigil, said he was working with other politicians to restart a citywide gun buy-back program.
"While policy is being debated in Washington, we have to start at the community level," he said.
Vigils continue nightly at the Riverside-Inwood Neighborhood Garden from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Dyckman Street and Broadway through Christmas Eve.
