Rainy weather did not dissuade an estimated 1,000 students and other members of the community to march in solidarity with the victims of last month’s school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
Demonstrations began at 1 p.m. at Hough Elementary School at 1900 N.W. Daniels St., and at the O.O. Howard House, where Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler’s office is located, at 750 Anderson St., and started marching toward Esther Short Park at about 1:30 p.m.
Marchers coming from the O.O. Howard House chanted, “What do we want? Gun control! When do we want it? Now!” Others are chanting, “Not one more!” and “Enough is enough!”
Marchers coming from Hough Elementary picked up a different chant: “Hey hey! Ho ho! The NRA has got to go!”
Recent postings on social media had raised the possibility that counter-protesters, possibly armed, might show up in response to the march. None were seen in the area after marchers arrived at Esther Short Park.
March for Our Lives was organized initially by the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people died after a gunman opened fire at the campus. Since then, groups have organized 831 sister marches across the globe, including in Vancouver.
The Associated Press is reporting that hundreds of thousands of teenagers and their supporters rallied across the U.S., vowing to transform fear and grief into a “vote-them-out” movement and tougher laws against weapons and ammo. Demonstrations filled streets in Washington D.C., Boston, New York, Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Oakland, Calif., in the kind of numbers seen during the Vietnam era, sweeping up activists long frustrated by stalemate in the gun debate and bringing in lots of new, young voices.
Participants marched in favor of banning the sale of some “assault weapons,” including the AR-15, banning high capacity magazines and closing the “gun show loophole,” which allows unlicensed gun sellers — typically private sellers who sell online or at a gun show — to sell the weapons without conducting background checks.
Speeches were planned during the event at Esther Short Park, which was scheduled to last until 4 p.m. Booths were also set up to allow participants to write their elected officials and complete voter registration material.
Columbian reporters Katie Gillespie and Jessica Prokop are reporting live from the demonstrations.
Follow along at Columbian.com, or on Twitter using #MarchforOurLives.
