CHICAGO - Hundreds are marching silently along Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago and are carrying crosses for each person slain in the city this year.

The crosses, made by a suburban Chicago man, have the names of a homicide victim. Authorities say there have been more than 760 people killed in Chicago in 2016. There were fewer than 500 homicides in the city last year.

The Rev. Michael Pfleger says he hopes the visuals of the protest along Chicago's premiere retail street will inspire people to take action to prevent further violence in 2017.

After Saturday's march, the crosses will be placed in a vacant lot on the city's South Side.