‘My thing is to chase them about 10 miles west of here and into the ocean.’

Eight weeks ago, maybe longer. Terry Coleman couldn’t remember exactly when he started planning Saturday’s march to protest the gang warfare and drug dealing taking place on Inglewood streets.

Nor did it seem to matter when 25 to 30 city residents who share his concerns showed up at the corner of West and Hyde Park boulevards shortly after noon.

The residents, many with children in tow, marched back and forth, circling through a Laundromat parking lot and drawing stares from passing motorists. Many carried placards warning against the dangers of drugs and gangs; all chanted “rock cocaine fries your brain.”

“This is war,” proclaimed the 45-year-old Coleman, who serves as president of the 125-member Concerned Citizens of Inglewood.

“My thing is to chase them about 10 miles west of here and into the ocean,” Coleman said of the drug sellers and gang members.

Although local police do not agree that the neighborhood chosen for Saturday’s demonstration is particularly bad when it comes to drug dealing and gang violence, they nevertheless say it is far from immune from such activities.

On Feb. 18, for example, police raided a residence several blocks away from where the demonstrators gathered and arrested 13 people on suspicion of possession of cocaine, according to Inglewood Police Lt. Les Friesen.

Also, during the last three weeks, several gang members have been arrested in the neighborhood since police began a citywide crackdown on gang activity. About 120 suspects have been booked for crimes ranging from murder to drinking alcohol in public, Friesen said.

Many of those in Saturday’s march said they wanted to make a statement that gangs and drug dealers are not welcome in Inglewood.

“I hope it will bring an awareness to the community that we are not just going to stand by and let drug addicts and drug sellers take over,” said Gwendolyn Phillips, a mother of three who lives three blocks from where demonstrators had gathered.

Bettie Albright, who was recently appointed a city parks and recreation commissioner, said she decided to join the demonstration because she is concerned about the amount of drugs being sold on city streets.

Inglewood City Councilman Tony Scardenzan said the march, which took place in his district, could inspire residents to hold similar marches elsewhere. He hoped it would send a strong message to drug sellers that “enough is enough.”

“The fact that these people decided to come together and march in the street is remarkable,” said Scardenzan, who joined the march himself.

Melissa McCloud, an eighth-grader at La Tijera Elementary School, wasn’t so sure the drug dealers would be chased out of town, but said it might put them on notice.

“We are probably going to scare them a little.”