WASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Protesters against gun violence rallied along Pennsylvania Avenue that connects the White House and Capitol Hill here on Saturday for the March for Our Lives event.
While calling out U.S. politicians who have repeatedly failed to address mass shootings, they were inspired by students who have taken actions on their own to demand stricter gun control and better school safety.
"Am I Next?" read a banner held by a student protester.
Whether students are safe studying at school has grown into a nationwide concern since the Florida high school shooting last month, where a 19-year-old gunman killed 17 people, including 14 students, with an AR-15 style rifle, in Parkland.
Organizers said that the D.C. Rally, along with over 800 others across the country and beyond, aim to break a legislative stalemate that puts off efforts to tighten gun control.
Those who are unsatisfied or even fed up with the serious, unique gun violence in the country, especially young people, were encouraged to vote out politicians who only "pray and talk" but never act.
"Hopefully, we would get the attention of politicians to realize their duty is to the American people, not the corporations like the NRA," Kobe Lee, a student from New York, told Xinhua.
Lee was calling out the NRA, or the National Rifle Association, the largest U.S. pro-gun group that have long offered political donations to lawmakers and government officials at different levels.
"Our citizens need to know who took the NRA money," said Edward O'Keeffe, who brought several banners that detail the group's most donations to politicians. They should be "named and shamed," he said.
The federal government, Congress, and the state of Florida have taken some actions in the aftermath of the Parking school shooting.
But some measures have also triggered controversy. Several protesters told Xinhua that they oppose arming teachers, a proposal that President Donald Trump has signaled his support at and that has been included in Florida's new public safety law with some preconditions.
"Arming a teacher is the worst idea," said Tori Price, who herself is a teacher. "I want the government to help me protect my children by getting more gun reform" but not by more guns, she said.
Her concern was well-founded. The United States, with over 300 million people, has an estimate of more than 300 million private firearms, nearly one for every man, woman and children. Many argue that it would only worsen the situation with more guns in circulation.
Emma Gonzales, a student and survivor of the Parkland shooting, stood on stage at the March for Our Lives for six minutes and 20 seconds, the amount of the time that the shooter extinguished the lives of the 17 students and faculty.
"Fight for your lives before it's someone else' jobs," she said, and left the stage.
Organizers said that it's hoped that the massive rallies and emotional speeches could instill momentum into the ongoing gun control movement.
According to a newly-released poll, 69 percent of Americans support stricter gun control measures, up from 61 percent in October 2016.
