One week after the Florida school shooting that left 17 people dead, students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School marched on the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee on Wednesday, blasting lawmakers for inaction on gun control.
The rally led by students comes one day after Florida lawmakers voted against a measure to review a ban on semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15 rifle that Nikolas Cruz allegedly used to kill his former classmates.
They chanted “Shame on You,” and demanded action from Florida politicians in the form of legislation, the Orlando Sun Sentinel reported. Many of the student activists organized March For Our Lives, a nationwide anti-gun violence rally that will be held on March 24. Several took to a microphone and let lawmakers have it.
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“Your children might become a victim too”
“Instead of returning for our studies, instead of preparing for exams, and instead of grieving for our dead classmates and teachers, we are out here advocating for change,” Florence Yared said. “Some of you said it was too soon to talk about gun control ... If we wait then someone else might become a victim too, your children might become a victim too.”
“We've had enough of thoughts and prayers”
“We are coming after every single one of you and demanding that you take action, demanding that you make a change," said Delaney Tarr.
Inaction is an “act of treason”
“The laws of our beloved country allowed for the deranged gunman to purchase a gun legally. The law has failed us, what we must do now is enact change,” Lorenzo Prado said. “To not the change the law in our time of need would be a huge disservice to the 17 dead in Parkland, the 13 dead in Columbine, the 26 dead in Sandy Hook, and the 59 dead in Las Vegas.”
“We don't want to take away your guns”
We don't want to get rid of the Second Amendment,” Tanzil Philip said. “We want gun policies that prevent an 18-year-old from killing 17 of our friends."
“I'm prepared to not worry about anything else besides this”
"It is about human lives," Alfonso Calderon said. “Please. I beg and I demand that every single person in power that has the ability to change the fear that kids feel going back to school, that they do something."
