Published on
by

At White House Lie-In, Teens Call on Congress to 'Protect Kids, Not Guns'

"We call on President Trump and leaders from both parties to finally act in the interest of America's youth and end these tragic mass shootings."

by
0 Comments

Demonstrators lie on the ground during a 'lie-in' demonstration supporting gun control reform near the White House on February 19, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

Building on the nationwide mourning and outrage that followed a Florida school shooting last week that left 17 people dead, dozens of teenagers held a "lie-in" at the gates of the White House on Monday to protest years of congressional inaction on gun control and highlight the National Rifle Association's pernicious influence on the political process.

The demonstration began with protesters—many of them from the group Teens for Gun Reform (TGR), which organized the event—lying on the ground in front of the White House for several minutes, symbolizing "how quickly someone, such as the Parkland shooter, is able to purchase a gun in America."

"We have organized this protest in solidarity with all of those who were affected by the horrific school shooting in Florida," TGR said in a statement. "We call on President Trump and leaders from both parties to finally act in the interest of America's youth and end these tragic mass shootings. It is imperative that American children are safe in their classrooms, churches, malls, movie theaters, and streets."

Hoisting signs that read "NRA: There Is Blood on Your Hands" and "Protect Kids, Not Guns," demonstrators also directed "Shame on you!" chants at the White House.

But President Donald Trump—whose speech in the aftermath of the Florida shooting didn't mention guns once—was not in the White House to hear the chants or listen to the protesters' demands, as he spent President's Day playing golf at his club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

"We're tired of hearing thoughts and prayers from Congress," concluded one mother in an interview with the New York Daily News. "We want action from Congress."

SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

Never Miss a Beat.

Get our best delivered to your inbox.

Watch video of the demonstration:

Our work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License. Feel free to republish and share widely.

This is the world we live in. This is the world we cover.

Because of people like you, another world is possible. There are many battles to be won, but we will battle them together—all of us. Common Dreams is not your normal news site. We don't survive on clicks. We don't want advertising dollars. We want the world to be a better place. But we can't do it alone. It doesn't work that way. We need you. If you can help today—because every gift of every size matters—please do. Without Your Support We Simply Don't Exist.

Please select a donation method:



Share This Article

Related Articles

More in:
U.S.
,
Gun Control, Donald Trump, Florida, People Power, Children, Columbine