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Buses and planes were loaded with people headed to Washington, D.C., on Saturday for the March for Our Lives to demand stricter gun control legislation. Thousands more marched across the country at sister marches held in all 50 states. And photos of the March for Our Lives show the energy the student activists have for the issue, and the potential political power that will be unleashed when they register to vote.
The speakers from Marjory Stoneman Douglas at the D.C. march returned again and again to the need to register and vote for change. "Vote them out!" rang out across the streets of the capital during every lull and pause in programming, which included performances by stars like Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, and Jennifer Hudson. Students from Sandy Hook, who had also been touched by gun violence, took the stage to stand in solidarity with the students from Parkland.
In addition to capturing how big the crowd was, the photos also show just how diverse the stage was. Never Again MSD organizers were joined by students from Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and other American cities where gun violence affects children and teenagers inside and out of schools. The stories of loved ones lost to violence were too many to count.
If you couldn't attend, you can re-watch the event on the via the live stream, and check out these photos that capture the spirit of the movement in the U.S. and beyond.
2) The Posters And Signs Were Out In Full Force
The ingenuity of was on proud display.
3) An American Flag Reinterpreted
Some of the commentary was intense, reflecting the deeply contentious issue at hand.
4) The Crowds
The crowd in D.C. was massive. Some early estimates put it higher than the Women's March.
8) Hands Up, Don't Shoot
The slogan "hands up, don't shoot" has been widely used to protest racial policing and police shootings. At the marches on Saturday, "don't shoot" made plenty of appearances as people joined in to protest gun violence against black and brown people, too.
9) So Many Strong Activists
The deadly shooting in Parkland sparked what has become a national movement. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas students, who organized the March For Our Lives, took the stage alongside other young speakers at the end of the event, and raised their fists in solidarity.
10) The View The Speakers Saw
Looking out on the crowd was intense. one Parkland student, Sam Fuentes, spoke at the March For Our Lives in D.C. — and she got sick to her stomach, though that didn't deter her from continuing her moving speech.
11) Emotions Ran High
For those on stage and watching in the crowd, emotions sometimes got the better of them.
12) Parkland, Florida, Represented In D.C.
This Parkland student is just seven, according to The Washington Post tweet.
13) Others Stayed To Protest In Florida
Many MSD students that hadn't traveled participated in protests back in Parkland.
14) The Small Town Rallies Were Happening Too
Photos point to high turnout nationwide.
16) Diversity In The Crowd Too
It wasn't just the speakers who were diverse, the crowd was too.
20) NRA Money In Elections
In 2016, the NRA and its affiliates spent about $54 million to support Republican candidates.
21) The Rally Versus The Capitol
The March for Our Lives stage framed the Capitol Building.
22) A Sea Of Slogans
Protestors came out in droves — and they brought their best.
24) All In Against The NRA
The group was painted as the opponent Saturday, even more so than the politicians they promised to vote out. The NRA's ads were shown and criticized between speakers and musical sets.
All in all the photos of the march show an engaged youth ready to tackle gun control, no matter how difficult the fight is.