A massive crowd of students from across Nashville walked-out of their classrooms Monday morning and marched to the State Capitol to demand changes to gun laws following last week’s school shooting at Covenant School.
Event organizer March For Our Lives estimates roughly 7,000 people participated in the march and rally on Capitol Hill.
“Protect kids, not your guns!” said the protesters as they marched down Broadway holding signs.
Recent graduate Corey Mosely was among the participants hoping to show support for changes to prevent gun violence.
“I am a victim to gun violence. Last year, October 8, was the day I almost lost my life. I got shot in the belly, all over a boxing match,” said Mosely. “It just don’t make no sense that everything we gotta go through and it’s just useless, petty nonsense.”
March For Our Lives is a youth-led, gun-control advocacy movement founded by student survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting in Parkland, Florida in 2018.
“Born out of a tragic school shooting, March For Our Lives is a courageous youth-led movement dedicated to promoting civic engagement, education, and direct action by youth to eliminate the epidemic of gun violence,” wrote the movement on their website.
The Nashville Walk-out is second large demonstration to rally for stronger gun laws in Tennessee in the wake of the last week’s Covenant School Shooting that killed three young children and three adults.
Rally at the Capitol
The march ended at the Capitol where a huge crowd of students, parents, and activists gathered to demand action on gun violence chanting “Save kids not guns.”
“Monday was a day that began like any other for me and quickly turned to one that was full of fear and tears like I image it was for all of you. Of countless texts from parents and colleagues, friends, and family in Nashville community, all full of panic and sadness and anger,” said Tennessee Moms Demand Action and the American Academy of Pediatrics member Dr. Kelsey Gastineau.
Organizers set up a podium in front of the crowd for speakers.
Metro Nashville Council At-Large mayoral candidate Sharon Hurt was among those speaking to the crowd. Hurt urged participants to vote and continue speaking out.
“To all of you (students), this is your lives in danger. You call deserve to feel safe in this town. You all deserve to thrive in Nashville and anywhere else you choose. You all deserve to make your voices heard,” said Hurt.
