Not one more: Thousands participate in March for Our Lives protests in Bay Area
March 26, 2018
Over 800 March for Our Lives protests took place on Saturday, pressing for tighter gun control and safer school environments. In the Bay Area, San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland marches, among others, attracted students and teachers to join the fight.
“For some reason, when kids are being killed at school, people think that the solution is to have more guns in classrooms. I think that’s just ridiculous and dangerous. You know, a kid can’t have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because there’s a peanut allergy, but we have assault rifles? That just—That doesn’t make sense.” – Mary Wallace (‘17), graduate from the University of Puget Sound
“I told my kids when kids talk, people listen. Adults typically are cynical, but my students are willing to dream, willing to see the world as it should be and not as it is. I think that’s what we need more of.” -Joshua Hollister, history teacher at Centerville Junior High School
“It involves both protests for the women’s march and this march right now that’s happening. I did go to the women’s march, and there were a lot of people that I’m trying to get my full rights from. I’m a teenager, so I can’t really vote yet. But, as a grown up, I want to be respected, I want to be a nice woman, so it’s nice to incorporate both aspects of these marches.” – Caitlin Curry (9), San Ramon Valley High School
“I’m glad that so many young people are getting into protesting and voting and all that… The whole tide pods thing is discounting the younger generations’ role in our democratic process. And that’s a huge block and we shouldn’t be discounting that and those votes are going to come up in 2018.” – Suzanne Waters, resident of Berkeley
Lowell freshman David Chen, head organizer of March for our Lives San Francisco, and Bay Area high school students lead the protest through Market Street. “All these people are [here] to show their support for the youth, to show their support for gun control,” Chen said.