Thousands gather to march for gun control and spark activism

  • Organizers of the "March for Our Lives" rally in Washington hoped their protest would match in numbers and spirit last year's women's march.
  • After the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students have tapped into pro-gun control sentiment that has been building for years.
  • Organizers hope the passions of the crowds and the under-18 roster of speakers will translate into a tipping point starting in the midterm elections this year.
Gun reform advocates line Pennsylvania Avenue while attending the March for Our Lives rally March 24, 2018 in Washington, DC..
Win McNamee | Getty Images
Gun reform advocates line Pennsylvania Avenue while attending the March for Our Lives rally March 24, 2018 in Washington, DC..

Students from Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School anchored a massive rally against gun violence Saturday in Washington, D.C., while hundreds of thousands of other young people took to the streets in sister marches across the globe.

"Its really empowering seeing that the country is behind this and that legislators are going to have to listen because there obviously are so many people here there are people who care about this issue," said Haley Stav, a student from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Organizers of the "March for Our Lives" rally in Washington hoped their protest would match in numbers and spirit last year's women's march, one of the largest Washington protests since the Vietnam era and one that far exceeded predictions of 300,000 demonstrators.

By 11:00 a.m., large crowds had already started to gather in the nation's capital.

Many celebrities joined in to show support for the students. Artists, including Common, Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus, were slated to appear the D.C. rally, according to the event website.

Bearing signs reading "We Are the Change," "No More Silence," "Keep NRA Money Out of Politics," protesters lined Pennsylvania Avenue from the stage near the Capitol, stretching back toward the White House. The route also takes in the Trump International Hotel. President Donald Trump was in Florida for the weekend; a motorcade took him to his West Palm Beach golf club on Saturday morning.

'Buns not Guns' reads one protester's sign at the March for Our Lives demonstration against gun violence in Washington, D.C.
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'Buns not Guns' reads one protester's sign at the March for Our Lives demonstration against gun violence in Washington, D.C.

After the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students have tapped into a current of pro-gun control sentiment that has been building for years -- yet still faces a powerful counterpoint from supporters of gun rights. Organizers hope the passions of the crowds and the under-18 roster of speakers will translate into a tipping point starting in the midterm elections this year.

People flocked, too, to a "March for Our Lives" event near the Parkland school where the massacre happened. Police presence was heavy as organizers set up and demonstrators streamed in. Eden Kinlock, 17, came from 20 miles away to pass out water, "a small thing but it helps in the bigger picture." Many Parkland students came to the Washington rally.

Washington is generally nonchalant about protests, but Saturday's gathering prompted more attention and speculation than usual.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters released a statement on Saturday in support of the protesters.

"We applaud the many courageous young Americans exercising their First Amendment rights today. Keeping our children safe is a top priority of the President¹s, which is why he urged Congress to pass the Fix NICS and STOPSchool Violence Acts, and signed them into law. Additionally, on Friday,the Department of Justice issued the rule to ban bump stocks following through on the President¹s commitment to ban devices that turn legal weapons into illegal machine guns," Walters said in a statement.

Protesters carry signs at the March for Our Lives demonstration against gun violence in Washington, D.C.
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Protesters carry signs at the March for Our Lives demonstration against gun violence in Washington, D.C.

The protesters, many of them high school students, claim that the youth leadership of this initiative is what will set it apart from previous attempts to enact stronger gun-control legislation.

In New York City, tens of thousands gathered near Central Park to demand action against gun violence. Mayor Bill de Blasio's wife, Chirlane McCray, published a video on her official Twitter account, supporting those marching.

"We still have along way to go, so keep marching. Show up when it counts and encourage your friends to join you, Keep making your voices heard. We want you to know, New York hears you," she said in the video.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School senior and survivor of the Parkland shooting Emma Gonzalez has quickly become the face of the fight against gun violence. She took the stage in D.C. and delivered an emotional speech to close out the day's demonstrations.

"Since the time I have come out here, it has been 6 minutes and 20 seconds. The shooter has ceased shooting and will soon abandon his rifle, blend in with the students until they escape, and walk free for an hour before arrest," she said. "Fight for your lives before it's someone else's job."

Polls indicate that public opinion nationwide may indeed be shifting on an issue that has simmered for generations, and through dozens of mass shootings.

A new poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 69 percent of Americans think gun laws in the United States should be tightened. That's up from 61 percent who said the same in October of 2016 and 55 percent when the AP first asked the question in October of 2013. Overall, 90 percent of Democrats, 50 percent of Republicans and 54 percent of gun owners now favor stricter gun control laws.

But even with claims of historic social momentum on the issue of gun control, the AP poll also found that nearly half of Americans do not expect elected officials to take action. Among the questions facing march organizers and participants will be how to translate this one-day event, regardless of turnout, into meaningful legislative change.

One way is by channeling the current energy into the midterm congressional elections this fall. Students in Florida have focused on youth voter registration and there will be a registration booth at the Saturday rally.

--The Associated Press contributed to this story.