In a show of support for three pieces of gun legislation, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) will hold a rally April 16 at the State House. The RICAGV is an organization that supports gun safety laws and along with their 61 partners represents more than 100,000 Rhode Islanders.

Jerry Belair, one of the board members for the coalition, said that although the group supports gun safety legislation they are not “anti-gun.”

He said in an email, “We stand together as a committed group of people who refuse to accept the level of gun violence in our communities. The good people of Rhode Island deserve a safe place to live.” 

This year they are supporting three pieces of legislation. The first is a No Guns in School law that would make it so that even persons with a concealed carry permit would not be able to bring their gun on school property. Another would restrict the sale of guns to persons convicted of domestic abuse.

Belair said that when domestic violence involves a gun they are 12 times more likely to end in death and abused women are five times more likely to be killed by an abuser if the assailant has access to a firearm.

The RICAGV is also backing legislation that would limit the sale of high capacity magazines to 10 rounds. States surrounding Rhode Island have already passed legislation limiting rounds to 10.

The event will have guest speakers and two musical groups performing. The guest speakers include Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, The Right Reverend W. Nicholas Knisely, Myra Latimer-Nicholas, who lost her son to gun violence in 2011, and Wendy Bowen, a retired teacher from Newtown, Conn.,

“The purpose of the rally is to bring awareness to the problem of gun violence to a state at which real changes can be made,” Belair said. “This rally gives victims of gun violence a voice in reminding our elected officials and the citizens of Rhode Island that real people are dying and being victimized by gun violence.”

The gun rally will be on Thursday, April 16 at the State House from 3 to 3:45 p.m. Immediately following the rally there will be a news conference in the State House Rotunda.

On the day of the event RICAGV will have five buses at various locations throughout the state to shuttle people to the State House. The coalition will have bus locations in Narragansett, Newport, Barrington, Providence and one at Rhode Island Mall in Warwick. The buses are on a first come first serve basis. Call Nan Hereaux at 849-2156 to reserve your seat.

For more information contact RICAGV at RICoalitionAgainstGunViolence@gmail.com, RICAGV.org, or on Facebook.