By Mike Kinney
The lowrider community and other truck, car and motorcycle clubs cruised 23rd Street in Richmond on Sunday in order to celebrate family and promote a safer community. Families lined 23rd Street in a display of multicultural unity and peace.
Lowrider events held here during the late 1970s and 1980s were all about families coming together to enrich communities, said Sal Garcia, one of the volunteer coordinators for the Cruise the Main event.
“We all grew up as family during those times,” Garcia said. “We want the younger generation to understand about community pride and unity.”
Saturday’s event featured dozens of auto clubs from Richmond and also throughout the Bay Area. The event is occurring in the wake of a rash of gun violence in Richmond and surrounding communities.
By Mike Kinney
After a turbulent year, Richmond High seniors deserve a smooth ride to graduation or ten.
On Friday, the lowrider community held their Second Annual Richmond High Car Show for Graduating Seniors on the campus at 1250 23rd St.
Local car club members parked 10 classic low-rider vehicles at the high school campus, where high school seniors were scheduled to pick up their graduation caps and gowns.
Hot-rods, souped-up trucks and other old-school muscle cars parked in the new quad by the old science building, showing love for the more than 300 graduates.
“We wanted to show them how the community is so proud of their accomplishments this year,” said organizer Gonzalo Rucobo, founder of Bay Area Peace Keeper, a violence prevention organization that works with students at different local school sites. “During these tough times, this graduating class was not able to get or receive a proper celebration they deserve for all of their hard work.”
That armor-piercing capability had gun control advocates pushing to ban the weapon more than a decade ago. While the FN Five-seveN is legal in California, its armor-piercing rounds are not for civilian purchase.
Over the last year, authorities have found evidence tying the 5.7 mm pistol to at least 14 street shootings from Watsonville to Antioch, including six in Oakland between April and June.
Authorities say they also recovered evidence that an FN Five-seveN was used in the slaying in September of local rapper Lamonta “Tay Way” Butcher in Richmond. Investigators believe the hip hop artist was essentially hunted down after posting on social media at a city street corner.