March for Our Lives: Young activists continue to fight back against gun violence
SACRAMENTO - Dozens of young activists showed up on the steps of the California State Capitol Friday evening to demand the state to pass more gun safety laws that they say will be lifesaving.
"Five years ago today, hundreds of thousands of people knew that they had had enough," said one speaker at the event.
Five years ago, a mass shooting at a Florida High School shook the nation. The tragedy in Parkland that killed 17 students and staff sparked a movement of young people hitting the streets to end gun violence, and today, people are still fighting for change in gun laws.
"Gun violence is the leading cause of death for young people, so it is something that we do not really have the choice to care about or not," said an activist at the event.
The March For Our Lives group is mobilizing in Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan and California this weekend to demand changes in legislation in each state.
"SB2 will implement various improvements to California's concealed-carry law in response to the recent U.S. supreme court case decision," said one speaker at the event.
Top of mind for these activists is provisions on sale of firearms and where you can carry firearms. They also want more programs to reduce violence, more mental health services and education for youth.
"We have become so desensitized to gun violence that we think it is normal," said the leader of March For Our Lives in Fremont, Arman Sharma. "If all of us want change and make it very clear we want this sort of change we just cannot not be listened to."
Gun violence data shows the U.S. has already had over 100 mass shootings so far this year. This is something the activists who met on Friday hope to change.
