Protesters outside of the National Rifle Association (NRA) headquarters in Fairfax, Va.
Hundreds of people protested the National Rifle Association (NRA) on Aug. 4 for not supporting gun reform laws and for not taking any action after the Parkland and Santa Fe shootings. The protest took place at the NRA headquarters in Fairfax, Va.
The march on the NRA was organized and put on by a group of teenagers from all over the country. The march started at noon, and went until 3 p.m.
After the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSDHS), where 17 students and staff were killed, a group of students from the school came together to create March For Our Lives (MFOL), which advocates for stricter gun laws to prevent more mass shootings from happening.
Cameron Kasky, David Hogg and Emma González are a few of the main voices behind this movement, and they’ve been fighting for gun reform ever since the attack on their school, which took place back in February.
Since the Parkland shooting occurred in Florida, there has been a lot of pushback on senators such as Marco Rubio. According to the New York Times, Rubio was paid $3,303,355 by the NRA.
Despite being paid by the NRA, Rubio tweets about his “thoughts and prayers” going out to everyone affected in shootings, instead of pushing for actual change to be made.
All Americans are heartbroken by yet another attack on a school. We should lift up in prayer the victims & their families. And we should all be grateful for the police officers and for the teachers & students of #SantaFeHighSchool whose brave actions saved lives today.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 18, 2018
The protest was in response to the NRA continuing to bribe politicians into going against gun reform laws, and the demand for stricter gun laws.
More than 500 protesters attended the march, whereas around only 20-30 counter-protesters on behalf of NRA came out. Some were in the crowd talking to protesters, and some were behind a road block, shouting into microphones.
People had signs that they had decorated with different phrases, drawings and photographs on them. People started chants while waiting for the next speaker to start their speech.
Many news outlets had reporters outside interviewing people and asking them questions about why they were there. Some people had signs with pictures of their friends or family members that had been killed because of gun violence.
Every single person had a reason for being there.
While I was at the protest, I felt a feeling of empowerment and motivation. It was so incredible to see a large amount of people from around the area come together to share their stories about gun violence and to support others.
Shaheera Jalil Albasit, cousin of Santa Fe shooting victim Sabika Sheikh, spoke in front of the crowd and shared her experience about what is was like to find out that her cousin had been killed.
She aimed her story at the NRA, asking them, “Do you know what it's like?” in regards to losing her best friend to gun violence.
Parents of school shooting victims gave speeches about how gun violence has personally affected their lives, inciting a tearful response from almost everyone in the crowd. They talked about how these shootings could have easily been avoided, and shared gun violence statistics with the crowd.
On average, 96 people die every single day due to gun violence. This includes suicide, murder and by accidental shooting, according to Everytown Research.
I had the honor of meeting two of the founders of MFOL, David Hogg and Cameron Kasky, at the end of the event. They are very outspoken and determined about gun reform, and have been encouraging politicians to take action by working towards safer gun laws and split their ties from the NRA.
The NRA has said that they have lost millions of dollars since the shooting that happened in Parkland. People and businesses are starting to cut their ties with the NRA, and it is financially hurting their business. They have said that they lost their insurance coverage, and are in the midst of a lawsuit.
Just like David Hogg always says, the young people will win.
