On Sept. 5th, the Loy Norrix parking lot was lined with about 500 students protesting against gun violence. Their chants and cries were heard around the streets as they marched.
On Aug. 28, in Minneapolis, Minn., a shooter outside Annunciation Catholic school fired 119 rounds, killing two children, Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel, and injuring 18 other people. Another school shooting took place on Sept. 10 outside of Denver, Colo. at Evergreen High School, where the student shooter shot two peers and took his own life.
These two school shootings highlight the constant gun violence problem in America. According to ABC, at least 90 violent gun-related events have taken place in schools this year.
Students Demand Action, a national anti-violence group led by American students, organized an anti-gun violence walkout that Loy Norrix participated in. Juniors Margarite McBride and Indigo Barsy created an Instagram account to organize the protest online and spread information about the event.
McBride and Barsy decided to join forces a couple weeks before the walkout, hoping to rally a large group of students.
“We both have different backgrounds, different places in the school,” said McBride. ”We’re not necessarily one side versus the other, but we’re definitely not in the same groups. I felt like we could run a lot of people together in this.”
The two were successful and gathered hundreds of students in protest. Many students held signs displaying messages including, “We should not be afraid to learn,” drawing attention to the cause. The protesters circled the parking lot, shouting common protest chants like “Stop the violence.”
Barsy and McBride weren’t the only students to organize walkouts. According to Moms Demand Action, nearly 300 schools joined in the protests against gun violence.
“I’m very passionate about gun violence,” said McBride. “It’s something that matters, and it’s something that needs to be talked about. It’s a recurring issue.”
Similarly, Barsy advocated for stricter gun regulations to prevent more shootings.
“I think that much stricter rules and restrictions on guns are really the only thing that can significantly lower the rates of these tragedies,” said Barsy. “We know that our demonstration alone is not enough to make any significant legislative changes, but we hope that our participation in this event helped to show our leaders how many people care, and maybe if there are enough people, something will get done to actually stop this from happening.”
By participating in the national walkout, Barsy and McBride hoped to grab the attention of government officials that could make Kalamazoo safer.
McBride and Barsy hope their accomplishment will inspire other students to stand up for what they believe in as well.
“Never be afraid to speak your mind and use your voice. It’s okay to be deemed as rebellious, as difficult, or as a problem,” said McBride. “At the end of the day, if you know what you’re doing is right, and you know you’re trying to make America at least a little bit better, that is the most important thing that you can do.”
