Students gear up for D.C. march, others

Inspired by the survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre, more than 500,000 people are expected to converge on Washington, D.C., for the March For Our Lives.

On the same day, March 24, similar rallies calling for school safety and gun limits will be held in hundreds of cities around the country, including Parkland.

“We have poured our heart and soul into this march,” said Bryan Mai, a junior at Stoneman Douglas who is playing a key role in organizing the Parkland march. “As we march here and in D.C., people will be marching in Boston, San Francisco and Liverpool.”

In the nation’s capital, the march will start close to the U.S. Capitol building and end less than a mile away from White House — about a three-quarter mile stretch. Student organizers originally wanted to have the march and rally on the National Mall — between the Capitol and the Washington Monument — but another event has a permit for that date.

According to the permit application, “March For Our Lives is created by students across the country who will no longer risk their lives waiting for someone else to take action to stop the epidemic of mass school shootings.”

Celebrities are among those expected to attend. George and Amal Clooney, along with Jimmy Fallon, have pledged to be there. The Clooneys and Oprah have each pledged $500,000 for the march. Celebrity couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen donated $25,000.

Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade is also pledging $200,000 to help underserved youth from his hometown of Chicago to be a part of March For Our Lives.

National Park Service spokesman Michael Litterst said Monday the event is approved although the permits haven’t been issued yet. He said it wasn’t unusual for an event of this magnitude to be issued permits within days of it taking place.

According to the application filed by Deena Katz, an organizer of the Women’s March in Los Angeles, organizers expect 500,000 marchers and will provide a stage, 20 tents, 14 largescreen displays — the “jumbotron” type typically used in concerts and stadiums, and a host of students speakers, musical performers and video tributes.

Organizers must still submit a medical plan, where first aid stations would be placed and other logistical details, Litterst said.

The March For Our Lives will be held on Pennsylvania Avenue between Third and 12th Streets Northeast.

Douglas senior David Hogg, 17, press secretary for the #NeverAgain student movement and organizers of March For Our Lives, said “a few people who have led major marches in previous years,” including Katz, are helping with logistics of the march in D.C.

“She’s playing a role. We don’t need people thinking she’s telling us what do to, ’cause she’s not,” Hogg said, adding details such as reserving medevac helicopters for the event and other logistics are being handled by those who have had experience with major events.

Katz has Hollywood connections as a co-executive producer of “Dancing with the Stars.”