Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Atlanta on Saturday as they pushed for stronger gun-control measures in response to last month’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and other mass shootings.
Led by students including survivors of the Parkland shooting, they carried signs that read “Protect Kids, Not Guns” and “Vote Them Out.” It was one of many anti-gun rallies being held across the U.S.
Carly Novell, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and a survivor of last month’s shooting, spoke to the crowd, saying she used to worry about things like math tests and boys. “Now I worry if my friends are mentally stable enough to live their daily lives. I worry about how many children will die at the hands of a gun. And I worry about the future of our country,” Novell said.
Prominent civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who joined the march to the Georgia Capitol, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he was impressed by the students leading the protests.
“I think it’s amazing. It reminds me of the early days of the civil rights movement,” Lewis said. “They will be the leaders of the 21st century.”
