President Trump has met with students, teachers, and state and local officials on school safety this week. This follows last week's mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. On Monday, the 19-year-old gunman appeared in court. His ability to obtain an assault weapon has led to calls for gun reform. CGTN's Jim Spellman reports.
Young protesters in front of the White House making their voices heard. Pushing for tighter gun control after last week's deadly Florida school shooting.
OLIVIA YASHROFF STUDENT PROTESTER "I'm out here today to join all the people who are disappointed by 'thoughts and prayers'. We want to do something about this, It needs to be stopped."
Sixteen-year-old Eleanor Nuechterlein helped organize the protest.
ELEANOR NUECHTERLEIN STUDENT PROTESTER "My message is that politicians need to do something. We are under 18. We are the same age as the victims in the shootings last week, and we want something to be done. It's not our parents. It's not adults. It's us."
Seventeen young people, on the ground, one for each child murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
"You are tearing up. Tell me what you are feeling."
"Just a lot of emotion coming in. It's a lot of kids killed. It's really sad to think about."
Olivia Yashroff came to the protest with her father.
JOE YASHROFF PROTESTER "My first reaction is I think it's wonderful. My second reaction is it shouldn't come to that. It should be our leaders and our adults who should be leading the cause, but unfortunately, they are not doing a very good job so it falls on kids like my daughter to take a stand."
JIM SPELLMAN WASHINGTON "These young protesters say this is just the beginning,that they will continue to demonstrate and demand action until something changes."
ELEANOR NUECHTERLEIN STUDENT PROTESTER "Until something is done there's going to be more school shootings, More shootings in general and that's not OK."
Jim Spellman, CGTN, Washington