An anti-gun activist holds up the photos of gun violence victims during the rally at the Times Square in New York Nov. 23, 2009. Anti-gun activists and victims of gun violence took part in a National Day of Outrage rally here on Monday, aiming to draw attention to what they say is a nationwide epidemic of gun violence in big cities. (Xinhua/Wang Jiangang) Photo Gallery>>>

    NEW YORK, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Anti-gun activists, city leaders and victims of shootings gathered in Times Square of New York City Monday afternoon, demanding an end to gun violence as part of National Day of Outrage.

    The local event is sponsored by U.S. civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network, a not-for-profit, civil rights organization founded by Sharpton in New York in early 1991.

An anti-gun activist holds up a slogan during the rally at the Times Square in New York Nov. 23, 2009. Anti-gun activists and victims of gun violence took part in a National Day of Outrage rally here on Monday, aiming to draw attention to what they say is a nationwide epidemic of gun violence in big cities. (Xinhua/Wang Jiangang) Photo Gallery>>>

    Participants wanted to draw attention to what they say is a nationwide epidemic of gun violence in big cities.

    They said shootings are destroying the lives of young and old.

    "The issue is that particularly in the communities of color and poor communities, and we are seeing a really dangerous, beyond dangerous situation of the use of guns and violence within the community," Michael Hardy, lawyer of Sharpton, told Xinhua at the rally.

    "It's really getting to the point where we can not ask anyone to respect us, if we do not start making our own community respect itself and save our children," he said. "

    "This is the beginning of our process to really go out and say: we need to take care of our own communities, but we need also those that are responsible politicians, the gun manufactures, and everyone else - they need be accountable also," he added.

    National Action Network cited a recent incident, in which a 92-year-old woman was shot dead in her own house by a random bullet as she was on her way to watch television in her living room.

    Following a number of violent shootings in the Bronx, one of the five boroughs of New York, Sharpton and his National Action Network called for a day where attention is drawn to gun violence.

    Some 26 cities including New York, Los Angles, Atlanta, Georgia, Chicago, Illinois, Detroit and Michigan participated in the event, all simultaneously at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

    In the spirit of the civil rights movement, National Action Network attempts to address the social and economic injustice experienced by blacks in the United States. The organization is headquartered in Harlem, New York, but currently has over forty active chapters in the United States.

The mother of a gun violence victim shouts slogans during the rally at the Times Square in New York Nov. 23, 2009. Anti-gun activists and victims of gun violence took part in a National Day of Outrage rally here on Monday, aiming to draw attention to what they say is a nationwide epidemic of gun violence in big cities. (Xinhua/Wang Jiangang) Photo Gallery>>>