For whom the Bell tolls

Councilman Tom LaBonge -- at the request of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- rang the bell atop Los Angeles City Hall on January 8th to mark the one-year anniversary of the shootings at a Tucson shopping center that killed six people and wounded 13 others, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who is on the road to recovery despite a gunshot wound to the head. Mayors of 21 cities across the country participated in the bell-ringing commemoration at the exact moment of the shooting one year ago. Councilman LaBonge tolled the bell six times in memory of the six people who were killed the day Rep. Giffords was shot and wounded. The councilman says Los Angeles participated along with 21 other cities at the request of Tuscon's Mayor Jonathan Rothschild. "It's important that we all come together at this moment to remember the victims of that tragic and shocking attack on 19 people, and to speak-out against violence. I'm honored to stand in for Mayor Villaraigosa for this commemoration on top of Los Angeles' majestic City Hall, joining with other US cities who've pledged to raise the civility of political discourse in these challenging times." Said Councilman Labonge.

Click to see more photos of the Bell-Ringing event