502Con speakers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — With a powerful message and the support of many, Louisville's first 502Con event brought young people and community leaders together to discuss ways to prevent violence across the city. 

"When we talk about violence, we're talking about justice; we are talking about racial and social justice," said Rashaad Abdur, a social worker who spoke during the conference. "We are talking about equity, and violence is just the symptom."

The young people who organized and attended the virtual conference are trying to share a message with others across the community: Violence prevention starts with us. 

Members of Louisville's Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, Mayor Greg Fischer, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth and local activists all spoke during the virtual event. 

"When you think about how we as individuals can be violence preventers or compassion creators, (it) is how, through our acts of kindness and compassion toward each other, can we be antidotes to violence?" Fischer said. "It doesn't have to be what we're thinking about as extreme violence; it could just be everyday activities that lift people (and) human potential up by people knowing you care about them."

Two of the event organizers, Jailen Leavell and Ahmaad Edmund, told WDRB News that the conference was planned as a way for youth in the city to pivot from the violence and bloodshed they saw in their community when they returned home from college in March due to the pandemic. 

Nine Louisville juveniles have been shot, and five have been killed in the past two months, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department. 

502Con was briefly disrupted when someone logged into the virtual conference and started displaying pornographic images and playing profanity-laced music. Event organizers ended the conference seconds after the disruption began, and the event moved to an Instagram live stream on 502CON's page.

Yarmuth, who was concluding his remarks to the conference when the disruption began, later said he was "sickened" by what occurred. 

"I am sickened by those who disrupted today’s amazing @502_con event with vulgar images & racist words," Yarmuth said in a tweet Saturday afternoon. "The cowardice of these ignorant bigots — those who hide their hate behind virtual anonymity & get satisfaction from attacking those uniting in compassion—is really just pathetic.

"I remain inspired by the leaders of @502_con who came together to combat hatred and violence and refuse to back down in the face of it," the congressman added in a later tweet. 

"I am so proud of and inspired by the young people who organized today’s @502_con," Fischer said in a tweet. "The sick person who disrupted the event will never disrupt the commitment and will of these strong young people. I stand with them as they continue working to combat hate and violence."

State Rep. Charles Booker of Louisville said in a tweet Saturday that he was about to speak to the conference when it was "hacked." He offered his support to event organizers and said the disturbance would not silence their efforts. 

"As I was preparing to speak to young leaders for the @502_con on violence prevention, the event was hacked. An event of power, love, and unity was attacked with hate and racism,"  Booker said in the tweet. "Although the event was halted today, our voices will not be silenced. We will be even louder now."

A 502Con attendee said on Twitter that the group's leaders will "definitely" respond to the incident.

"... that's what we do ... rise!" the attendee's tweet said. 

Event organizers then issued the following statement to 502Con's Twitter account:

"First and foremost, thank you for your patience and persistence with us at this time. The purpose of 502Con is to bring youth together to enact change in our community and demand a world where we are all safe, healthy, and supported. If you were on the Zoom call, then you know that we were abruptly disrupted and hijacked by individuals who were against the message of love and hope that we tried to protect; and do not agree with the work we were doing. These individuals had the intention of hacking the conference in attempts to silence the voices of leaders who are addressing violence prevention. Though this has presented a momentary pause, it will not hinder our efforts to pursue our purpose.

"... It is our full intention to come back stronger and more resilient together in the future. ... In the meantime, we are still trying to process what has happened, what it means for our purpose, and how we can continue to be a light in our community. More information will be forthcoming. At this time, we want to encourage you to not lose sight of the vision and what we can accomplish when we work together in peaceful, sustainable ways."

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