Fired up in rally at Fla. statehouse
Thousands of protesters besieged Florida’s capital Wednesday following last week’s horrific school shooting, demanding that lawmakers ban assault rifles, limit magazineammo capacities and strengthen gun-purchase background checks.
Leading the charge were about 100 students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS, in Parkland, Fla., where a former classmate killed 17 people and injured 15 in a hail of gunfire on Feb. 14.
“No longer can I walk the halls I walked millions of times before without fear and sadness,” Stoneman Douglas student Florence Yared told the massive crowd gathered on the grounds of Tallahassee’s Old Capitol Building.
“The only purpose of an assault weapon like this is to kill,” Yared said. “The AR-15 is not a self-defense weapon. It is rightly called an assault weapon . . . We cannot protect our guns before we can protect our children.”
The students made a 450-mile pilgrimage from Parkland to Tallahassee, hoping to meet Republican lawmakers to personally appeal for a state ban on assault weapons and stricter background checks for gun buyers.
But GOPers’ icy receptions Wednesday morning only fired up the kids, who warned the pols at an afternoon press conference, “We’re coming after you.”
The Florida Legislature by a 71-36 vote Tuesday scotched a bill that would have banned many semiautomatic guns and largecapacity magazines.
Students on Wednesday met with Republican state Senate President Joe Negron and state Rep. José Oliva in an effort to convince the lawmakers to treat high-powered rifles like a more serious publichealth concern, but said their comments were greeted with platitudes.
“The only thing we’ve gotten out of them is, ‘We’ll keep you in our thoughts. You are so strong and powerful.’ We are not here to be patted on the back,” student Delaney Tarr said.