WASHINGTON 鈥� Ahead of Saturday鈥檚 March for Our Lives demonstration in D.C., survivors of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, brought a broad anti-gun violence message to area students and looked for common ground.
鈥淲hat happened in our community was devastating and awful, but the truth of the matter is, it happened in our community once,鈥� said Cameron Kasky, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 students were killed last month.
鈥淵ou guys are the experts on this. This is a war you鈥檝e been thrust into your entire lives and you鈥檝e been ignored,鈥� Kasky told a gathering of students on Thursday at Thurgood Marshall Academy, in Southeast D.C.
This school year, two Thurgood Marshall Academy students were shot and killed in separate incidents, away from the charter high school.
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen again and again the media focus on school shootings and often times be biased towards 鈥榳hite privileged鈥� students,鈥� said Douglas student David Hogg. 鈥淢any of these communities are disproportionately affected by gun violence, but they don鈥檛 get the same share of media attention that we do.鈥�
Other messages to the D.C. students focused on the importance of getting out to vote and holding elected leaders accountable.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed the crowd, saying that “I will be looking for you” at Saturday’s march, and saying of the two slain Marshall students,聽鈥測ou will be able to represent their voices.鈥�
Bowser said,聽鈥淚 am sorry in many ways that you have to step up in leadership on this issue, but I am also grateful that it is you, the young people, that will lead the way, not only for our city but for our entire nation.鈥� She added that the area and the nation needed聽鈥渃ommon sense gun regulations that keep kids and communities safe,” and that students at Dunbar High School had written a bill聽鈥渢hey want us to work on and present to the Congress.鈥�
Bowser also emphasized the need to聽鈥渃oncentrate on our own families, our own neighborhoods and our own schools, and make sure that we鈥檙e not ever giving up on a single person.鈥�
Another Douglas student, Alfonso Calderon, said聽he sat next to the D.C. police chief at a gathering of politicians Wednesday.
“He talked about all the issues he thinks he’s facing, but not once did he mention the people of this community. Not once did he talk about gang violence, or people who are losing their lives every single day for absolutely no reason,” Calderon said.
DC police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said “Chief [Peter] Newsham did not attend an event Wednesday and therefore did not speak with the student.”
Earlier Thursday, Newsham told 海角精品黑料 that police 鈥渨ere anticipating a large event but a nice event鈥� on Saturday. He said he had been getting many questions about whether it would be safe to attend the march.
鈥淢y answer to folks is, absolutely. I would entrust my family鈥� I would encourage them to come if they鈥檙e so inclined,鈥� Newsham said.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a statement from D.C. police.
