24-hour Peace Rally kicks off, calls for end to violence in Nashville

A 24-hour demonstration to celebrate community and peaceful coexistence, and gather against violence kicked off Friday in Nashville.

The effort, "24 Hour Display of Power: 24 Hours of Complete Peace," will focus on  solidarity and building power amongst community members in an effort to take back the city, community organizer Gicola Lane said Friday.

A rally and march in connection with the demonstration are slated for Saturday.

"The goal is to really just call for absolute peace across the city," Lane said. "Our community is in pain. We have experienced a large influx of violence from multiple directions. We've lost a lot of people to both community and police violence.... We're asking the entire city to display unity."

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As of Friday, 39 people had died as a result of criminal homicide in Nashville. Year to date through April 17, police data showed aggravated assaults in the city increased 12.8% over last year. Homicides were up 20.7%.

The event was set to begin 10 p.m. Friday with pastors from across the city congregating in an effort to usher in peace at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church at 2800 Buena Vista Pike.

Ministers attending included the Rev. Davie Tucker Jr. with Beech Creek Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville; Samuel X Gray, a student minister at Muhammad Mosque No. 60 Nation of Islam; and Pastor Napoleon Harris of the First Baptist Church of South Inglewood.

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A rally hosted by community groups including the Black Nashville Assembly is set for 11 a.m. Saturday at 1511 Jefferson Street in North Nashville. It will be followed by a noon march to City Hall downtown.

"We’ve seen so many heartbreaking events throughout the city," said Erica Renee, of Nashville, co-director of Workers' Dignity and a Black Nashville Assembly organizer.

Renee said the day's goal is to heal and work toward "creating the conditions of peace."

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"Tomorrow is a public declaration of our commitment to building community safety — because we know that elected officials won’t give us the resources we need to be safe right now and the police are neither capable nor were established to create or ensure public safety — and using violence interruption as a tool to do that," Renee said Friday. "Peace is possible when our people have the resources they need to lead thriving lives. Tomorrow we are inviting people to join the community in practicing peace and the Black Nashville Assembly to transform our material conditions so that peace reigns in our city."

Following the rally and march a "Peace & Power" concert is set for 4-6 p.m. at City Hall.

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Natalie Neysa Alund is based in Nashville at The Tennessean and covers breaking news across the South for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at nalund@tennessean.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.