March for Our Lives Rally Saturday in Support of Gun Control Legislation

(KNSI) — The March for Our Lives movement is holding rallies this weekend to support gun control legislation.

The youth-led group formed in 2018 after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, says they are marching to demand action. The march also comes in the wake of several mass shootings, including Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Shaun Laden of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers says America is unique in how it’s routinely affected by gun-related violence. He adds demonstrators are determined not to let the latest incidents fade into the public’s memory without substantive changes.

“Our young people are bearing the brunt of this, and so we got to do things differently. And I think that’s what this mobilization around the country [is] – coming together to say enough is enough. There needs to be, and there will be, political consequences for elected leaders who don’t support gun control.”

Advocates are calling for actions such as a federal ban on assault weapons and a national “red flag” law. Many Republicans argue there needs to be more security at schools and an emphasis on mental health. Laden says the issue plays out differently in communities around the U-S, noting the many young people who have been killed in Minneapolis away from school. He adds this weekend’s rallies can keep the conversation going.

“When you’re trying to seek institutional change against an entrenched status quo, it can take time and you got to stay at it and continue to talk to people about what they believe.”

St. Cloud is one of 450 locations where rallies will be held. The website says the event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Stearns County Courthouse downtown.

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MNC Reporter Mike Moen contributed to this story.

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