Written by Emma Roberts, Illustration by Emily Wachter
Background:
A lone gunman entered Marjory Stonenan Douglas High School, Feb. 14, 2018 in Parkland, Florida. The man killed 17 people and injured 17 more within six minutes. Over an hour later, the shooter was arrested in a nearby neighborhood, and news coverage showcased the aftermath to the entire nation.
Four days after the shooting, Cameron Kasky and his classmates announced the March For Our Lives. Protestors called for background checks, closing gun show loopholes and banning high-capacity magazines.
Similar protests were organized as well, including the Enough! National School Walkout and a school wide walkout, on the anniversary of the Columbine school shooting, April 20.
Support and Opposition:
Students David Hogg, Emma González and Cameron Kasky became household names, and the de-facto face for gun reform. Support came in from millions across the nation, including celebrities and several large corporations. Many Democratic politicians offered their support for the movement.
However, the cause was not without opposition. Among those were the National Rifle Association, a gun rights organization that went under considerable scrutiny after the shooting. The organization condemned the march – falsely claiming that violent radicals were behind the march. There were also Republican politicians that opposed the march, including President Trump and Florida Senator Marco Rubio.
The majority of Democrats and Republicans supported background checks, restrictions on gun purchases for the mentally ill and those on no-fly lists. However, the response on banning assault-style weapons was mixed. More Republicans and Democrats supported concealed carry.
The Day Of:
Protesters all across the nation organized to demand comprehensive gun reform, March 24, 2018. Students, parents, adults and children alike marched through city streets, and Washington D.C. had the largest group of demonstrators.
A counter-protest named, “March for Our Guns” set up in front of the Trump International Hotel. In total, the protest organized by the NRA saw one attendee. Elsewhere in D.C., crowds began to form well before noon. Most gathered in front of the Capitol Building, and others overflowed into neighboring streets.
One of the speakers at the march, Cameron Kasky, named the 17 victims of the Parkland shooting to a silent crowd. His classmates David Hogg, Jacqueline Corin and Emma González also spoke throughout the day. In addition, other children from across the nation spoke to the crowd about gun violence. Most of the events affiliated with the march finished without incident.
Aftermath:
The March for Our Lives protest became the largest student protest since the Vietnam War – an estimated 1.2 million marched across the United States. In the wake of the Parkland shooting, the Florida State Legislature passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which saw a ban on bump stocks, increased the age to buy a gun from 18 to 21 and put waiting periods on background checks.
Many large businesses ceased business with The National Rifle Association, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, FedEx, Delta Airlines and Best Western. Further scrutiny was placed on the company for previous leaders abusing their power.
Conclusion:
The March For Our Lives was among the largest student protests of the modern era. Their message of saving students from gun violence resonated with many across the nation and helped bring gun violence to the national spotlight. The movement showcased that student organization on a large scale is not only possible, but achievable. The movement also showed that large scale protests can earn large scale results. Since the march, gun reform laws passed in over half of the states, and gun violence is still a contested topic to this day.
