Hundreds of people crossed the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan on Saturday, in support of March for Our Lives. It was one of dozens of rallies across the US to protest political inertia on gun control.
The New York march kicked off at Cadman Park Plaza, where a huge memorial honors Brooklynites who served in the second world war. Some marchers said they felt they were in a war, to protect themselves and their families from gun violence.
“Anything we can do to protect our children and get attention is significant,” said Betsy Malcolm, 66.
Surveying the large number of women, many with children, attending the rally, she said the anti-gun violence movement was taking on aspects of a gender issue. “I think more women are becoming engaged than men. None of these mass shootings are perpetrated by women.”
Nancy Hagans, president of the New York State Nurses Association, said she had witnessed an increase in gun crime victims in emergency rooms. Part of the problem, she said, was the surge in the availability of inexpensive “ghost guns”.
“As nurses we see 13-year-olds sitting in their living rooms getting caught up in it. My daughter is in high school and sometimes she’s afraid to go to class.
“People say this is politics but it’s not politics, it’s life. This is us, in the ER, taking care of children and parents. These are our children, they are our future, and right now we are destroying our future.”
Sophie Breslauer, 19 and from Chicago, said her school had lost three students to gun violence in the past year. “Our campus has become so unsafe that we get free Lyft rides starting at 5pm. It’s scary to walk to the library. That’s insane. It shouldn’t be that way.”
Her friend, Noa Gilad, said it was important to keep marching.
“We need to be grounded in what’s happening because we’re losing lives. It’s important that people know what’s going on.”
The situation, she said, had begun to make it feel like it would be negligent to raise a child in America.
“It’s so sad to say that but at this point I think it may be true,” she said.
March for Our Lives was born out of the massacre of 14 students and three adults on 14 February 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida by a former student.
In New York City on Saturday, makeshift tributes had been set up for victims of recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas.
In both instances, 18-year-old males who had recently purchased assault-style rifles carried out the shootings. Organizers of the marches in response said the time was right to renew the push for national gun control reform.
Kathryn Colglazier said she had age-appropriate conversations around safety with her three-year-old daughter.
“I feel like it’s important to be out here so she knows that guns are bad and they need to go. It’s important for us to be out here and not allow this to be forgotten until the next time it happens.”
Tim and Sara Erickson, both teachers, said the starting point at Cadman Plaza was significant because it held a memorial to people who inspired change. Like others, they said they were frustrated with discussion on guns within a standard political framework.
“It’s absolutely a women’s issue and one of the reasons that there is not more care given to schools and teachers is because it’s a predominantly female, care-taking position,” said Sara Erickson. “Those are the people that tend to be ignored, or belittled and not made to be as important.”
When the make-up of power looks like the make-up of America, she said, people will be truly represented.
“Until that time, it’s about people who want to wield power instead of people wanting to protect who they are supposed to serve.”
