March for our Lives: One million protesters for more gun control

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They were over a million to march for more gun control in the US on Saturday.

From the main event in Washington, DC to Boston, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Atlanta and hundreds of towns in between, protesters turned out en masse, galvanized by a group of students from Parkland, Florida who have launched a nationwide movement after a mass shooting at their high school on February 14.

Many of the protesters at the rallies, dubbed the “March for Our Lives,” were high school students.

Hundreds of thousands take part in the "March for Our Lives" Rally in Washington, DC on March 24, 2018. /VCG Photo

Their objective: push politicians to pass harsher gun legislation – including background checks and a ban on assault weapons – and crack down on gun violence that has already left over 3,200 people dead this year.

In the US capital, the rally drew some 800,000, organizers told NBC News. In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio said there were 175,000.

In all, some 800 rallies were held worldwide, according to the March for our Lives website – from London and Amsterdam to Sydney and Tokyo.

Protesters chanted “Enough is enough” and “Never again,” while pictures of signs made the rounds on social media asking “Am I next?” and “How many more?” and urging “Arms are for hugging, not hurting” following a wave of mass shootings in the US in recent months.

One young boy holding a large cardboard sign that read “When I said I’d rather die than go to math class, that was hyperbole, assholes” was shared repeatedly on Twitter.

Read more: Where has gun legislation worked?

This new drive for more gun control in the US began after the February 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 students were killed.

Survivors mobilized and launched the "March for our Lives" movement, lobbying local politicians in Florida to pass tougher gun laws before taking their campaign to Washington, DC.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Emma Gonzalez (C) gathers with other students on stage during the "March for Our Lives" Rally in Washington, DC on March 24, 2018. /VCG Photo

Parkland student Emma Gonzalez, who has emerged as one of the movement’s leaders, made a tearful speech on Saturday that lasted six minutes and 20 seconds: the time it took the gunman on February 14 to mow down her classmates.

“In a little over six minutes, seventeen of our friends were taken from us, 15 were injured and everyone, absolutely everyone, in the Douglas Community was forever altered,” she told the crowd in DC.

"Fight for your lives before it's someone else's job."

Eleven-year-old Naomi Walder meanwhile drew cheers with a spirited speech calling attention to African-American women who are often ignored as victims of gun violence.

People arrive for the "March For Our Lives" rally against gun violence in Washington, DC on March 24, 2018. /VCG Photo

One of the objectives of Saturday’s rallies was to urge people to vote in the November midterm elections and ensure politicians, whom gun control activists have accused of being in thrall to the powerful NRA gun lobby, listen to their constituents.

"Politicians, either represent the people or get out," Parkland student Cameron Kasky told protesters gathered near the US Capitol.

Among those attending marches around the country were survivors of other school shootings, including Columbine in 1999 and Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, as well as several hundred veterans.

“We all volunteered to go into harm’s way and fight wars, understanding the dangers,” Marine Corps veteran Kyleanne Hunter, who served in Iraq and Afgthanistan, told Buzzfeed. “These kids just went to school.”

People protest for tighter gun laws during a "March For Our Lives" rally in Los Angeles, California on March 24, 2018. /VCG Photo

Celebrities also turned up to show their support. In Washington, singers Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson and Broadway stars Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt performed for the crowd. In Los Angeles, comedian Amy Schumer addressed protesters. Other high-profile names at the various rallies included former Beatle Paul McCartney, actors George Clooney and Julianne Moore, and singers Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato.

Several cities also saw counter demonstrations however, with pro-gun activists waving signs that read "Keep your hands off my guns" and "Keep America Armed."

The issue of gun control has sharply divided US public opinion, with many – not least of all the NRA – arguing that every American’s right to bear arms is protected by the constitution.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Emma Gonzalez addresses the "March for Our Lives" rally in Washington, DC, March 24, 2018. /VCG Photo

After the Parkland shooting, President Donald Trump proposed arming teachers as a solution to school shootings.

On Saturday, he was at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida and did not comment on the rallies on Twitter. But the White House put out a statement saying it applauded "the many courageous young Americans" exercising their rights to free speech.

On Friday, the Justice Department proposed a ban on so-called bump stocks that can effectively turn a semi-automatic weapon into a machine gun.

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