Grace Powers
Staff Writer
On Saturday March 24, students from around the Richmond area gathered at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School to protest gun violence. The event was a student-led event sponsored by Richmond City Public Schools.
Speakers climbed on a platform atop a bus to share their experiences with gun violence and express their disappointment with legislators. Most of the speakers included students from all grades in high school coming from Richmond, Henrico, and Hanover.
Tim Kaine and Levar Stoney also took to the platform to emphasize the importance of student activism in enacting change. The rally ended with a performance of Rise Up, and the march to the State Capitol began.
People flooded the sidewalks marching to the Capitol, chanting phrases such as “Enough is Enough!” The police escorted the protest the entire way, ensuring that cars on the road posed no threat to the marchers.
Once at the Capitol, there were more speakers, including Freeman Senior Max Nardi. The march caught national attention as a branch of the national March for Our Lives. What all the protesters agreed on was that they would not stop holding marches until they saw legislation passed.
Protesters at the march. Photos: Grace Powers