March For Our Lives: Protesting students ask, "Why do your guns matter more than us?"
March For Our Lives: Protesting students ask, "Why do your guns matter more than us?"
To condemn gun shooting and violence, hundreds of students, teenagers, celebrities and other marched across the US and different parts of the world. On march 24, 2018, a student-led demonstration started 'March for Our Lives' in Washington, D.C., with 845 sibling events throughout the United States and around the world. The march is in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Everytown for Gun Safety.
On Saturday, thousands of people rallied across the US, vowing to transform fear and grief into a "vote-them-out" movement and tougher laws against weapons. The students at various places across the nation's capital made powerful posters against the gun debate.
Cities like Boston, New York, Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Oakland, California and others protested, the supporters were called to action by a brand-new corps of leaders: student survivors of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead Feb. 14, 2018.
The Parkland survivor David Hogg said, "We're going to take this to every election, to every state and every city. We're going to make sure the best people get in our elections to run, not as politicians but as Americans." He also said, "You can hear the people in power shaking."
Students carried powerful slogans such as "If they choose guns over our kids, vote them out."
Cameron Kasky, a 17-year-old junior at the high school told, "Politicians: either represent the people or get out. Stand with us or beware, the voters are coming."
Last month's Florida school massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, students rallied in cities across the country to demand tighter law against gun violence.
Connor Humphrey, 16, of San Luis Obispo said, "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." He also echoed a proposal made by Trump after the Parkland killings, "I think teachers should have guns."
Though, there were few people in the protest who had placards with messages such as "Keep America Armed" and "Re-elect Trump 2020."
Hollywood Celebrities at the March for Our Lives
Several Hollywood celebrities like Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande, as well as "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, among others performed in Washington. Kim Kardashian, Nick Offerman, George Clooney, Cynthia Nixon, Laura Dern, Willow and Jaden Smith and David and Jeffrey Katzenberg joined students at the march across the nation.
Singer Miley Cyrus posted an image on Instagram with the caption: "Surrounded by heroines. Lucky to be here at this moment in history with the ones I love."
Actor George Clooney and his human rights attorney wife, Amal, donated $500,000 and said they would be at the Washington rally.
At the 2018 Kids Choice Awards, John Cena, a wrestler and actor, and Millie Bobby Brown, a British actress, applauded the March For Our Lives event.
Former President Barack Obama said on Twitter that he and his wife Michelle were inspired by all the young people who made the marches happen.
"Keep at it. You're leading us forward. Nothing can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for change," Obama said.