High school students gathered outside of the White House on Feb. 19 for a peaceful protest about gun control five days after the devastating school shooting in Parkland, FL [1]. Dozens of teenagers stood outside in Washington DC and held signs with messages like "Fear has no place in schools" and "Enough is enough." The demonstration was planned by a new organization called Teens For Gun Reform [2], which formed in the wake of the Parkland shooting.
In addition to gathering by the fence and chanting phrases including "Am I next?" [3] toward the White House, the President's Day event included a short "lie-in," or a few minutes during which the students lay silently on the ground to send a message and symbolize the victims of school shootings.
The Facebook page for the Protest For Gun Reform event [4] reads, "Tomorrow's event centers around a lie-in, where protesters will lie down to symbolize the victims of school shootings; by doing this, we will make a statement on the atrocities which have been committed due to the lack of gun control, and send a powerful message to our government that they must take action now. The lie-in will last for only a few minutes, starting at 12:15, in order to symbolize how quickly someone, such as the Parkland shooter, is able to purchase a gun in America."
Regardless of your opinion on the controversial debate surrounding gun-control legislation [5] in America, you've got to hand it to these young people for speaking up and trying to make a difference when the pain hits close to home. Take a look at some of the most powerful images and videos from the protest ahead.
