March for Our Lives

March 24, 2018

Tens of thousands of people marched today through Manhattan and more than a million others marched in cities & towns across the country. The March for Our Lives took place less than 6 weeks after the Valentine’s Day massacre at Stoneman Douglas HS in Parkland, FL. The biggest march took place in Washington, D.C. where Emma Gonzalez, a Parkland survivor addressed the multitudes.

Marching down 6th Avenue.

Here in Manhattan, the March kicked off up by the Museum of Natural History before working its way down CPW. There was a stage set up for speakers at 60th Street, right across the street from the Trump International Hotel. It continued across Central Park South before turning onto 6th Avenue and on down to 44th Street. For several hours the March stretched along the entire parade route. Chants of “Fox News, Fake News” and “Shame, shame, shame” went up as marchers went past the station’s HQ on 48th St.

Laila and Diana.

Diana P. is a college sophomore who lives in New Jersey. “Youth have a voice. It’s great that they’re out here and can make a difference. We don’t want to hear about a shooting every other week.” Laila R. is a sophomore at FIT. “Some people don’t believe gun control works, but it does work in other countries and if even one life is saved that’s great.”

Karen R. teaches Spanish and French at a Westchester County HS.

“It’s outrageous to keep pointing to people as the problem. As long as anyone can get a gun we’re at risk. It’s guns that are the problem! Ban assault style weapons and buy back what’s on the street, it works.” Karen told the Gazette she doesn’t know a single teacher willing to be armed in a classroom and that some say they’d quit if it came to that.

Obama tweeted about the March.

A handful of pro-2A people held signs and chatted with marchers along the sidelines near Columbus Circle. Hundreds of NYPD officers were deployed, herding people through or away from countless metal barriers that lined the route. Many of the marchers were HS and college age.

Ariel Kohane, Jews for Trump.

AK: “I’m definitely for school safety, but I’m also pro-2A.”

IG: If Trump called and asked you what he should do, what would you tell him?

AK: “I’d tell him to use former military and police to safeguard schools. They’d have to undergo psych evaluation and gun training. Guns would be locked away with biometric fingerprints needed to get them. Focus on mental health issues, better coordination between law enforcement agencies. Nicholas Cruz could have been stopped. There were many warning signs.”

IG: Are there a lot of Jews for Trump that you’re aware of?

AK: “Not really.”