Almost 700 survivors of crime are expected to converge on Sacramento for a two-day event starting inside the Sheraton Grand hotel and ending with a march on the California state Capitol.

The event titled, “Survivors Speak: Healing Through Action,” will be hosted by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, a national movement of more than 10,000 survivors, according to a news release.

One of those scheduled to speak is Samantha Fuentes, a survivor of the Parkland, Florida school shooting. She recently spoke about those who have criticized victims for speaking in the wake of that shooting.

“You don’t know the pain until it happens to you. You don’t know the fear and the sorrow and the disappointment and the complete and utter rage until it happens to you,” Fuentes said.

The founder of the #MeToo Movement, Tarana Burke, is also scheduled for Monday morning’s opening event.

The focus of this week’s events is to highlight the need for “a safety and justice system that works for everyone. A system that prioritizes prevention, accountability and recovery from harm,” according to the news release.

Mike TeSelle
KCRA