President Joe Biden stated that his message to the protesters was to “keep marching” and that he was “mildly optimistic” on legislative negotiations to combat gun violence.
Thousands of protesters have gathered in Washington, D.C., and across the United States to demand stricter gun laws.
It follows the deaths of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, last month, but there have been several previous instances of mass shootings.
In Washington, DC, Yolanda King, the granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr., stated that the country had reached a turning point and that laws needed to change.
She stated, “This time is different because this is not about politics.” “It pertains to morality. Not left and right, but right and wrong, and that includes more than simply thoughts and prayers. That requires initiative and boldness.”
Despite rain in the nation’s capital, tens of thousands assembled on the National Mall carrying signs such as “Children are irreplaceable, senators are replaceable.” Vote”.
A girl in middle school carried a banner reading, “I want to feel safe at school.”
Muriel Bowser, the mayor of the District of Columbia, told the crowd in her city, “Enough is enough.”
“I speak as a mayor, a mother, and on behalf of millions of Americans and the mayors of the United States who urge that Congress do its duty. And its purpose is to safeguard us and our children from gun violence.
The events were organized by the group March For Our Lives, which was founded by survivors of the 2018 shooting that killed 17 students and faculty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
David Hogg, the co-founder of the group, stated, “If our government can’t do anything to prevent 19 children from being slain, slaughtered, and beheaded in their school, it’s time for a change in leadership.”
President Biden, who was in California when the Washington event began, told the marchers to “keep marching” and expressed “modest optimism” over legislative efforts to combat gun violence.
The House of Representatives has enacted legislation increasing the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic firearms and establishing federal “red flag” restrictions.
However, such efforts have often stalled in the Senate or been severely scaled down.
Democratic and Republican senators had hoped to reach an agreement on a framework for tackling the issue this week and held additional discussions on Friday, but no agreement was reported.
