Survivors of last week’s school shooting in Florida announced they will lead a nationwide March for Our Lives in Washington D.C. March 24 to pressure Congress for gun reform and legislation to make schools safer.
Five students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School organized the march with the mindset of “not one more.”
“We cannot allow one more child to be shot at school. We cannot allow one more teacher to make a choice to jump in front of a firing assault rifle to save the lives of students. We cannot allow one more family to wait for a call or text that never comes,” the students wrote on their website for the march.
According to the March for Our Lives mission statement, demonstrators will take to the streets of Washington D.C. on March 24 to demand that their lives and safety become a priority, and that gun violence and mass shootings in schools stop. Additionally, marches will be taking place concurrently in other cities across the United States.
On March 24 we will take the streets of Washington DC and our communities across the country to #MarchForOurLives. Sign up at https://t.co/2m7ItdfFjV pic.twitter.com/yokyEdj7Jq
— March For Our Lives (@AMarch4OurLives) February 18, 2018
A GoFundMe page has been established for the march. All money will be going toward organizing the D.C. march as well as marches across the country. According to the page, any leftover money will be given to victims’ funds. As of Tuesday, the page had raised more than $800,000 of it’s $1.5 million goal.
Organizers are also selling March for Our Lives merchandise with all profits also going towards organizing the marches.
Together, we are so powerful. So many of you have asked for ways to support and some people have asked for t-shirts. We have some up on @Represent. All proceeds from these will go to fund the #MarchForOurLives and organizing youth across the country: https://t.co/qzzn9X7WMn
— March For Our Lives (@AMarch4OurLives) February 19, 2018
The March for Our Lives is just one of the many events scheduled for March which call Congress to act on gun control and urge the American public to condemn law-makers who have accepted donations from the National Rifle Association (NRA). The students have said in interviews that they are creating a “badge of shame” for any politician that’s accepting money from the NRA.
The student leaders have said they are determined to make their experience a turning point in the national gun debate and have garnered a lot of support over social media for their activism – including a $500,000 donation from George and Amal Clooney.
The country knows you are a rock star @Emma4Change. Thank you for helping to lead the charge to get the adults to start acting like it. #MSDStrong #NeverAgain #MarchForOurLives #StudentsDemandAction pic.twitter.com/aL8g4BBTdv
— Rep. Ted Deutch (@RepTedDeutch) February 20, 2018
Support these extraordinary and resilient kids! March 24 is the #MarchForOurLives. #NeverAgain https://t.co/lVoDk8XIui
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) February 20, 2018
We are grieving with Parkland. But we are not powerless. Caring for our kids is our first job. And until we can honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep them safe from harm, including long overdue, common-sense gun safety laws that most Americans want, then we have to change.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 15, 2018
Gunman and former student Nikolas Cruz has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder, officials said Thursday. Cruz opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida last week where 17 people were killed and 14 others were injured.
