More than 100 supporters rallied in front of the Circle of Brotherhood nonprofit in Miami on Wednesday to protest what they said is the “defunding” of programs to curb gun violence.
Last week, CBS News Miami reported that the U.S. Department of Justice notified the Circle that it was ending a $2 million grant program.
The Circle has a group of workers called “peacemakers,” who interact with children in local schools to prevent conflict. They serve as a neighborhood patrol, with boots on the ground to stop crime, gun violence and offering alternatives.
Lyle Muhammad, the Circle’s executive director, told CBS News Miami he was barely able to pay his 50 employees and would be running out of money.
Moms Demand Action spoke out against the cuts, while other supporters called on the federal government to restore the funding.
“They are not just numbers — they are saving lives,” said one speaker at the podium. “We demand people over politics.”
“The school board was invited to be here and nobody showed,” added Holly Zwerling, the president and CEO of Fatherhood Task Force South Florida, a nonprofit that increases the role of fathers in children’s lives.
In an email from the Justice Department, the Circle was told their funding was ending “because it no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities. Instead, they would focus on law enforcement protecting children and victims of trafficking and sexual assault.
Speakers called on church groups and others to step up and raise money to keep the Circle work going.
