In this May 12, 2011 file photo, Jim Jones Jr., the adopted son of Jim Jones (left) and John Cobb, who lost 10 relatives in the Jonestown tragedy, stand near a Jonestown memorial at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland, Calif. Jones Jr. says the inclusion of his father's name among the others is about representing the truth of what happened on Nov. 18, 1978. "Our memorial removes individual opinions and makes it factual," Jones Jr. said ((AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file)) |
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A new memorial has been dedicated to the victims of the 1978 mass murder and suicide at Jonestown, Guyana.
The dedication came after a judge last week denied a motion seeking to block further use of the monument at the Oakland cemetery where more than 400 unidentified and unclaimed victims are buried in a mass grave.
Nearly 200 people attended the ceremony Sunday at Evergreen Cemetery.
The monument consists of granite etched with the names of the more than 900 people who died at Jonestown. It has sparked controversy because it includes the name of Peoples Temple leader Jim Jones.
In ruling against a preliminary injunction, a judge said Thursday denying access to the memorial would cause substantial harm to those who wish to gather there to honor the victims.
