WASHINGTON — The mass shooting at a Florida high school has prompted calls for lasting changes to gun laws after 17 students and teachers were killed in the attack.
In the span of less than two weeks, organizers have already begun to plan for a march in D.C. to call for stricter gun laws as a way to end gun violence and mass shootings at schools.
A gentle reminder that all we are aiming for here is stricter gun laws that make it harder for people to get guns (because it shouldn’t be easier than getting a drivers license) and the removal of Military Grade Weapons from Civilian Society. #BanAssaultRifles #GunContolNow
— Emma González (@Emma4Change) February 25, 2018
The planned event, called the March for Our Lives, is set to take place on March 24, but organizers are dealing with one slight glitch: There’s no set site for the demonstration.
“The March for Our Lives applicants submitted a permit for an event to take place on the National Mall on March 24,” said National Park Service spokesperson Mike Litterst. “We have previously received applications for events there. We process [on a] first-come, first-served basis. So, because that area is not available, we’re working with them to find alternate locations.”
Litterst confirmed a filming permit was requested for the same date involving some of the same “areas that the march organizers had requested.”
For now, Litterst said the Park Service is working on other options.
“It’s ultimately up to the organizers to decide on a location that they want,” Litterst said. “We work with them to find other locations that are available and can accommodate the number of folks that they’re interested in. We’re talking to them about West Potomac Park.”
“I understand Pennsylvania Avenue is something they’re considering, but Pennsylvania Avenue’s under the jurisdiction of the city.”
