Thousands Rally for US Gun Control Measures After Deadly Mass Shootings

Thousands of Americans rallied across the United States on Saturday to demand Congress work on gun control measures after recent mass shootings in the country.

At the US National Mall, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke "for millions of Americans" and mayors during the second March for Our Lives rally in her city.

"Enough is enough," she said, demanding Congress do its job "to protect us, to protect our children from gun violence."

Speaker after speaker in Washington urged senators to act or be voted out of office, especially in light of the national outrage over the May 24 shootings at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde that killed 19 children and two teachers, AP News reported.

Protests Pressure the US Congress

David Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 shooting that killed 17 students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, is a co-founder of the March For Our Lives organization. He led the crowd in chants of "Vote them out."

"If our government can't do anything to stop 19 kids from being killed and slaughtered in their school, and decapitated, it's time to change who is in government," he said.

Yolanda King, a granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr., said that the current situation is different "Because this isn't about politics. It's about morality."

"Not right and left, but right and wrong, and that doesn't just mean thoughts and prayers. That means courage and action," King said.

Hundreds of people gathered at an amphitheater in Parkland, where Debra Hixon, whose husband, high school athletic director Chris Hixon, was killed in the shooting, said it is "all too easy" for young males to stroll into stores and purchase firearms.

Florida lawmakers recently passed a "red flag law" that allows people suspected of posing a threat to themselves or others to be denied firearms, according to The Guardian.

In San Antonio, Frank Ruiz, who said he helped organize the march in the area some 85 miles east of Uvalde, called for gun reform regulations similar to those implemented in Florida following the Parkland shooting, which focused on raising the age to purchase certain guns and reporting those with mental health issues.

Biden To Gun Control Advocates: "Keep Marching"

US President Joe Biden was in California during the Washington demonstration per CBS News. He told activists to "keep marching," adding that he is "mildly optimistic" about legislative efforts to combat gun violence. Biden recently delivered an emotional message to the nation, calling for several changes, including raising the age limit for purchasing assault-style guns.

Senators from both parties had hoped to reach an agreement on a framework for dealing with the problem of gun violence this week. There was no reported agreement after they convened on Friday.

March for Our Lives was established in 2018 following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 14 students and three adults were killed. Organizers believed that a million people, largely young, participated in the protests at the time.

The group helped in pressuring Florida Republicans to pass reforms such as bringing up the age to buy long guns, such as AR-15-style rifles, from 18 to 21, establishing a three-day gap between purchase and access, allowing trained school staff to carry guns, and investing $400 million in mental health and school security.