Utica Residents March For Peace In Corn Hill Thursday

Dozens of Utica citizens and community leaders including Mayor Rob Palmieri braved the rain and cold Thursday night to march through Corn Hill and spread a message of peace in hopes to put a stop to the violence the City has seen over the last year.

Organizer Hannah Burgess says Utica is a great city with great individuals in it, and she ads if you can get a mayor and police officers out walking in the rain, then change can be made.

Mayor Robert Palmieri says he thinks the marches are an absolute representation of the warmth and community the City of Utica is capable of.

He says the marches spread the message that Uticans are not going to tolerate the violence or the drugs and citizens are willing to stand up for those beliefs.

Meanwhile, WIBX asked Palmieri about the derogatory nickname 'Shootica' that some have begun calling the City of Utica after the recent string of violence.

Listen to his response below: