On Saturday, March 24th, history was made once again when millions of people across America protested for gun control. This countrywide protest, which was organized by the surviving students of the Parkland school shooting that occurred earlier this year, was a message sent to the NRA, Donald Trump, and Congress that we have had enough!
The main rally and march were in Washington, D.C., but many sister marches took place in many cities, such as Los Angeles and New York City.
I attended the march in New York City. I had subway rides where I was suffocated by fellow passengers heading to march. The train rides were uncomfortable, but I was pleased to see the many people with protest signs in their hands.
I got off at W 81st street and immediately saw anti-NRA signs and heard chanting. The turnout was massive. People from the ages of two-years-old (accompanied by parents or guardians) to 80 years-old (and maybe even older) participated.
Unfortunately, I was unable to get close enough to the stage where the rally took place, but people around me were making a mini-rally. I overheard conversations people were having about how terrible the NRA is, their own ideas of how to have better gun control laws, and of course of how Donald Trump should be impeached.
Along with the conversations, there was also a performance of a man and women singing and playing instruments. Being surrounded by this and all of those people who are advocates for peace really boosted my faith in humanity.
After a while longer, the march commenced. Positive and inspirational music was playing, and chants such as "Hey Hey, Ho Ho, The NRA Has Got To Go" broke out making the march even more powerful.
I was proud to have been able to march alongside young children, the elderly, and also dogs!
Further into the march, counter-protests occurred. Although it consisted of a small group (a very small group), people still confronted the counter-protesters in an attempt to change their harmful way of thinking. Although a few Trump supporters and pro-gun/NRA people tried to put a damper on the march, March For Our Lives participants did not let that happen. One group of protesters even played music to block out what one of the Trump supporters were saying.
Overall, the march was a complete success. Even though the marches that occurred across the country made an impact, we can't just leave it at that. We have to continue to work to enforce stricter gun control and to put the NRA in its place. How many times must innocent lives be lost because of a gun?