WASHINGTON – Ahead of Saturday’s March for Our Lives demonstration in D.C., survivors of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, brought a broad anti-gun violence message to area students and looked for common ground.
“What happened in our community was devastating and awful, but the truth of the matter is, it happened in our community once,” said Cameron Kasky, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 students were killed last month.
“You guys are the experts on this. This is a war you’ve been thrust into your entire lives and you’ve been ignored,” Kasky told a gathering of students on Thursday at Thurgood Marshall Academy, in Southeast D.C.
This school year, two Thurgood Marshall Academy students were shot and killed in separate incidents, away from the charter high school.
“We’ve seen again and again the media focus on school shootings and often times be biased towards ‘white privileged’ students,” said Douglas student David Hogg. “Many of these communities are disproportionately affected by gun violence, but they don’t get the same share of media attention that we do.”
Other messages to the D.C. students focused on the importance of getting out to vote and holding elected leaders accountable.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed the crowd, saying that “I will be looking for you” at Saturday’s march, and saying of the two slain Marshall students, “you will be able to represent their voices.”
Bowser said, “I am sorry in many ways that you have to step up in leadership on this issue, but I am also grateful that it is you, the young people, that will lead the way, not only for our city but for our entire nation.” She added that the area and the nation needed “common sense gun regulations that keep kids and communities safe,” and that students at Dunbar High School had written a bill “they want us to work on and present to the Congress.”
Bowser also emphasized the need to “concentrate on our own families, our own neighborhoods and our own schools, and make sure that we’re not ever giving up on a single person.”
Another Douglas student, Alfonso Calderon, said he sat next to the D.C. police chief at a gathering of politicians Wednesday.
“He talked about all the issues he thinks he’s facing, but not once did he mention the people of this community. Not once did he talk about gang violence, or people who are losing their lives every single day for absolutely no reason,” Calderon said.
DC police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said “Chief [Peter] Newsham did not attend an event Wednesday and therefore did not speak with the student.”
Earlier Thursday, Newsham told WTOP that police “were anticipating a large event but a nice event” on Saturday. He said he had been getting many questions about whether it would be safe to attend the march.
“My answer to folks is, absolutely. I would entrust my family… I would encourage them to come if they’re so inclined,” Newsham said.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a statement from D.C. police.
