Changes ahead for West Indian-American festivity

Borough president Eric Adams is calling for changes to the West Indian-American festivities after a violent incident during J'ouvert. J'ouvert is a carnival demonstration that precedes the West Indian

News 12 Staff

Sep 11, 2015, 6:54 AM

Updated 3,394 days ago

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Borough president Eric Adams is calling for changes to the West Indian-American festivities after a violent incident during J'ouvert.
J'ouvert is a carnival demonstration that precedes the West Indian American Day Parade. It consists of live music and flurries of baby powder released into the air.
Carey Gabay, an aide for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is one of several people injured during the J'ouvert celebration. He is in critical condition after being shot in the head. Two others were shot and two were stabbed. One person died.
Adams says the issues plaguing the parade are violence and a lack of gun control.
He says he plans to create a task force of police, elected officials and heads of J'ouvert to supervise the areas where violence tends to occur.
He suggests a possible solution to the recurring violence is to begin the festivities at an earlier time. He also says his team will speak with club promoters to ensure parties that occur during the same time as the J'ouvert celebration remain violence-free.
The task force will commence their meetings in October.
Adams says he will continue his fight to get broader gun control legislation passed and to get the city to finance local organizations who work with youth to help stop violence.