NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Waving signs that read "Guns Over People" and "Arms Are for Hugging," demonstrators took to the streets Saturday in New Orleans as part of the March for Our Lives demonstrations taking place across the country to call for stricter gun laws.
In New Orleans, hundreds of demonstrators marched through the streets and then rallied at a park across from City Hall, calling for tighter gun laws. Similar demonstrations were held in Shreveport, Lafayette and Baton Rouge.
The rallies are in response to the Feb. 14 attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida that left 17 people dead. Since then many of the survivors have become vocal advocates calling for changes in gun laws and inspiring students in other cities to become more engaged in the gun debate.
"My generation is dying so I am here. You may not want to listen but I will make my voice heard," 17-year-old Olivia Keefe, one of the rally organizers, told the New Orleans crowd.
New Orleans resident Christine McNabb brought her 12-year-old daughter Ariyanna with her to the rally. She said Ariyanna is being home-schooled now but would be attending public school next year and she was worried about her safety.
"We are just sick of what is happening in schools," McNabb said. "They are not protecting kids. They are protecting guns."
She said she would support raising the age at which people could buy guns and some type of monitoring for those who bought large numbers of assault rifles.
"Our laws need to change," she said.
Elliott Canty, a 17-year-old high school student in New Orleans, said he's struck by the number of times school shootings have happened.
"I saw the Parkland shooting and I just thought 'Why is this happening again? Why do we not have gun control?' It's going to happen again if we don't do something," he said.
– by AP reporter Rebecca Santana
