November 9, 2009 11:33 AM
On Saturday night, roughly 200 people gathered near the Patchogue train station for a vigil in memory of Marcelo Lucero, who was beaten and stabbed to death by seven teenagers at the same spot on Nov. 8, 2008.
After the teens were apprehended, they admitted that they routinely went "beaner jumping," which meant that they would hunt down and attack Latinos.
The memorial -- which the family requested remain apolitical -- featured half a dozen musical tributes to Lucero, as well as touching testimony from Lucero's mother, Rosario, and his brother, Joselo. The overall theme of the gathering was a call for peace, reinforced by a rendition of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind," and large candlelit and flower-laden peace symbol that was placed just in front of the stage.
One of the most stirring moments of the night came when Rosario Lucero spoke about her son's murder, her slight frame trembling with emotion as she approached the microphone:
"I don't feel any hate or revenge, because I'm not the one who has to judge the others, but I'm only asking for justice," she said.
In addition, Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri opened the vigil with a welcome for the Lucero family and Rev. Allan Ramirez presented a gospel reading about the importance of loving your neighbor. I should have video of their addresses later today.
Here are some photos pulled from the video that I shot. You should also check out reporting on the vigil from Vivir Latino's Mamita Mala. She has photos, as well.
While immigration reform isn't the only answer to hate crimes like the Lucero murder, bringing immigrants out of the shadows is definitely part of the solution. With that in mind, we're circulating a petition for immigration reform. Click below for more info: