Milwaukee protesters call for stricter gun laws at March for Our Lives

The ocean of marchers carried home made indicators with messages in colourful, handwritten letters calling on elected officers to “Love youngsters, regulate weapons,” “Shield our youngsters” and “Ban assault weapons.”

Many wore shiny blue T-shirts printed with “March for Our Lives” in a daring, white font as they marched from the Milwaukee County Courthouse down Wells Road, Wisconsin Avenue and Third Road on the way in which to the Deer District.

Tons of of them gathered Saturday afternoon for town’s second March for Our Lives rally, one in all lots of of comparable gatherings throughout the nation calling for stricter gun legal guidelines about one month after the lethal mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. 

March organizer and up to date Marquette College graduate Tess Murphy mentioned ending the march within the Deer District was intentional, a method to honor the injured victims of the Might shootings that occurred close to Fiserv Discussion board.

“Our subsequent technology deserves to stay in a society the place they’ll develop and thrive with out fearing that their lives will probably be taken prematurely by a bullet,” mentioned Heidi Rose, program director of the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Instructional Fund, addressing the gang from the courthouse steps. “We mourn the losses of life minimize quick in Uvalde, Buffalo, Parkland, proper right here in Milwaukee and so, so many extra.

“Gun violence shouldn’t should exist,” Rose instructed the gang, and he or she urged lawmakers to move stricter gun legal guidelines.

“We demand change from our group, from our elected officers and from everybody who desires to see an finish to gun violence,” mentioned 16-year-old Rufus King Worldwide Excessive College scholar Mia Moore, taking the stage after Rose. “We demand nationwide laws handed for common background checks and elevating the age to buy a firearm.”

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March organizer Tatiana Washington defined her and the opposite organizers’ No. 1 objective is for the march to encourage federal lawmakers to mandate common background checks for any individual buying a firearm in any state. This would come with background checks on folks buying firearms from non-public sellers, equivalent to sellers at gun reveals, a requirement not presently mandated by federal legislation. 

“We hope that Senator (Chuck) Schumer sees all these marches taking place all around the nation and decides to name for a vote on common background checks,” Washington mentioned. 

Marchers name for banning AR-15s and elevating the age to buy a firearm

Like Moore and Washington, many younger folks on the march passionately referred to as for legislative change.

“I hope that individuals actually begin to really notice that it’s a downside,” mentioned Marquette senior Nick Burriesci. “It is like an epidemic as a result of it simply retains cascading. There’s so many points with gun violence, and I hope (the march) truly brings folks to actively search for methods to vary this.”

The march didn’t solely appeal to faculty college students, but additionally everybody from younger youngsters to grandparents.

Daiva Baltrukenas mentioned the shootings in Parkland and Sandy Hook made her “wish to cry,” however the Uvalde capturing introduced her “to (her) knees in tears” as a result of, now, she has a 9-month-old grandson.

“I wish to defend him,” she mentioned. “I am so indignant. We have got to do one thing. … This little man (my grandson) goes to should be doing energetic shooter drills. That is unsuitable.”

Martin Levson mentioned his non secular beliefs pushed him to attend the march.

“I’m right here as a result of, properly, as my signal says, ‘Don’t stand idly by whereas your neighbor’s blood is shed,’” mentioned Levson, the non secular chief for Congregation Emanu-El of Waukesha. “My religion custom could be very clear about the truth that you do not simply say, ‘Oh properly, there’s nothing that may be carried out.’”

Whereas he doesn’t think about himself an “anti-gun individual,” he mentioned he’s in favor of banning sure weapons, together with AR-15s, and elevating the minimal age to buy a firearm to 21.

March for Our Lives rallies are taking place throughout the U.S.

Washington mentioned the march was one in all over 450 related marches taking place nationwide, with most taking place on Saturday and a few to happen subsequent weekend.

March for Our Lives’ nationwide march occurred Saturday in entrance of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., whereas related marches occurred throughout Wisconsin in Madison, Inexperienced Bay, Elkhorn, Eau Claire, Luck and Minocqua, in accordance with the group’s web site.

The occasions had been a part of the second nationwide March for Our Lives demonstration organized in response to the current mass shootings on the Tops grocery store in Buffalo and Robb Elementary College in Uvalde. The shootings, which occurred solely 10 days aside, killed 10 and 22 folks, respectively. 

The primary March for Our Lives demonstration occurred in March 2018 following the Feb. 14 mass capturing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Excessive College. The primary Milwaukee march attracted an estimated 12,000 folks, whereas over 1 million marched in Washington, D.C., or in demonstrations all through the nation. 

“It is simply irritating,” Washington mentioned when requested how she feels about marching once more 4 years later. “It is quite a lot of grief and rage, however I additionally suppose this time is totally different. There’s people that did not essentially help us in 2018 marching with us. … They’re bored with seeing capturing after capturing after capturing, and nothing has basically modified.”

She added that the 2022 march can be personally vital for a lot of Milwaukeeans.

“Gun violence is a matter in Milwaukee and there is so many people which were impacted,” she mentioned, including that shedding her aunt to gun violence in 2017 led to her involvement within the March for Our Lives nationwide group. “A number of us are nonetheless very closely excited about the mass capturing that occurred after the Bucks sport.” 

Washington mentioned she hopes the march reveals the group that acts of violence just like the Might 13 shootings that injured 21 folks within the downtown leisure district shouldn’t be normalized in Milwaukee.

“We should not be scared to go watch our workforce within the playoffs and stay in worry that we will be shot at,” she mentioned.