Numerous protests are demanding actions be taken in regards to gun reform. There events are taking place on Saturday across the United States.
Some of the states include New York and Washington D.C.
The March for Our Lives event follows mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York. Protestors will group at Cadman Plaza in New York and prepare to march across the Brooklyn Bridge, according to CBS2.
People that put the event together stated over 150 laws in the state were passed after the last march in 2018. However, this march is pushing for changes to be made federally.
Thousands of angry protestors intend to shut down the bridge at noon. Angela Malley and Felix Tager will be in front of the group. The anger from the gun violence leads the mission to create change.
Tager explained on Friday that 19,100 people have lost their lives just this year at the hand of gun violence in America. The march is for them as well as change.
2018 Gun Reform March
The rally on Saturday is an add-on to the march in 2018 that was organized by students following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. The shooting took the lives of 17 people. The massacre caused the creation of the movement March for Our Lives. Also, the movement is youth-led.
The 2018 march persuaded Florida’s Republican-dominated government to work on gun reform. The students at Parkland that are in the movement set their sights on gun reform in other states and all over the United States. They also launched the movement and held the big rally in Washington on March 24, 2018.
However, the movement did not get the same results nationally as they did in Florida. But, the gun reform movement has stayed consistently advocating for gun reform since that time. Also, the group has participated in drives for voter registration.
With another chain of shootings occurring, gun reform is back in conversation nationwide. Those who organized the event on Saturday say that now is the time to renew the push for a nationwide gun reform.
Robb Elementary Student’s Explanation to Lawmakers
A member of the gun reform movement, Mariah Cooley explained that they are angry right now. She also stated that this is going to be a demonstration to show that they will not stop until Congress does their part and if they don’t, they will be voting them out.
The rally will happen at a time that political activity on gun reform is renewed as well as during an important time for Congress to possibly take action.
Some of the individuals that survived mass shootings and different incidents that involve gun violence have tried to persuade Capitol Hill this week. Alongside of them was an 11-year-old who survived the Robb Elementary School shooting, Miah Cerrillo. She explained to lawmakers that she survived by covering herself with the blood of her dead classmate to avoid getting shot.
Matthew McConaughey’s Advocates for Gun Reform
Actor Matthew McConaughey made an appearance at the White House to advocate for gun reform. He also made personal remarks about the gun violence in Uvalde, Texas, which is his hometown.
The House passed bills that would make the age to purchase a semi-automatic weapon higher as well as establish red flag laws federally. However, the initiatives have been stalled traditionally or have been diluted heavily by the Senate. Republican and Democratic senators were hoping to reach an agreement this week on the structure for discussing the issue on Friday. However, they did not announce an accord by the evening.
Written by Marrissa Kay
Sources:
AP: Thousands rally for gun reform after surge in mass shootings; by Ashraf Khalil
CBS New York: Thousands to cross Brooklyn Bridge in March for Our Lives rally against gun violence; by Christina Fan
CNN Politics: March for Our Lives will hold Saturday rally in DC; by Paul LeBlanc
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Phil Roeder’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Fibonacci Blue’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
