The February 14 massacre claimed 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, spurring the survivors at the school into activism. They quickly became the faces of a national conversation on gun control, and now they are lobbying lawmakers for more restrictive gun laws.
Small groups of students will meet Friday morning with members of Congress, while others will head to the Newseum to discuss their experiences in the Valentine’s Day shooting.
Later, some will attend a vigil at the National Cathedral and a concert headlined by the rock band Fall Out Boy.
“This trip is showing the politicians the true meaning of democracy,” Stoneman Douglas student Demitri Hoth told CNN at an airport Thursday as he and other students traveled from Florida to Washington. “They are not there to serve groups; they are there to serve people. It’s time for us to take control and be heard.”
A series of sister events begins Friday around the world. Americans in Israel will rally in front of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, along with at least one Parkland student.
“American citizens and students in Israel, Pantsuit Nation Israel, Democrats Abroad-Israel and survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are standing together to stop the epidemic of mass shootings in the United States by advocating for stronger gun control laws,” said rally organizer Marni Mandell.
Source : CNN