ENOUGH
This past weekend my friends and I attend the “March For Our Lives Protest”. Words cannot describe how much of an amazing experience it was. Prior to this protest I only attended one other protest back in February, which was much smaller. I knew the “March For Our Lives Protest” was going to be huge. My friends kept telling me that over a half a million people registered for it. I admit I was nervous. I kept thinking about everything that could go wrong at the protest. So many people were going to be in one space. I started to let this fear consume my mind, but then I realized if people didn’t stand up against their fears, protest like this and ones in the past would not have happened. Events like the Civil Rights Movement wouldn’t have happened. The Women’s Right Movement and more would not have happened if people did not challenge their fears or the fears of society to stand up to and challenge those in power.
Quite the Vibe
On the day of the protest D.C had a certain vibe. Not many people were on the streets; I didn’t see a single homeless person. On the way to the protest we would see other people carrying signs and they would smile at us. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood. One thing that was nice was the presence of security. Security was everywhere and unlike in airports where they seem uptight and serious, here, although they were focused they weren’t intimidating and they seemed relaxed, which made me more relaxed. When we got to the protest, hundreds of people were already there. We were standing for five and a half hours before the speeches began, just talking to those around brainstorming and us what we were going to have for dinner (because you know my friends appreciate food as much as I do). Chants would start every other minute and people were holding their signs proudly in the air.
Age is just a Number
Every speech was incredible. Each speaker was clear and concise about what they were talking about. What was most powerful was that how young the speakers were. They were all eighteen or younger and were so powerful. Naomi Wadler, who is Eleven year old, gave a powerful and uplifting speech about African American girls and women who are affected by gun violence. She thought it was important to bring light to this subject and to acknowledge African American women on the topic of gun violence. My favorite part was when she acknowledged her age and how young she is, but how much she and her generation are capable of change. Another speaker that stuck out to me was Yolanda King, the granddaughter Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. She led a short but powerful statement. She had the audience repeat after her. This was amazing and seeing Martin Luther King’s daughter there was breathtaking. Lastly, Emma Gonzalez left me at first confused but then very awed when she silenced the crowd for a little bit over six minutes symbolizing how long the shooting lasted and in that short amount of time, seventeen people died. Just by doing that her and her speech were both monumental. I cried a total of three times throughout the protest. The atmosphere was sad, but moving and inspirational, it was an honor to experience something like this and I’ll remember it forever as one of the most meaningful days of my life.
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