Thousands protest with March for Our Lives in Philadelphia, nationwide

    By
  • Emily Rolen
    • March 24, 2018
  • Thousands gather for the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

    Thousands gather for the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Sophomores from Springfield High School in Springfield, Pa., Kyra Kucirka, 16; Juliana Bater, 15; Ethan Graci, 16; and Deborah Persico, 16; join their peers and fellow citizens as they march for gun control and against gun violence at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

    Sophomores from Springfield High School in Springfield, Pa., Kyra Kucirka, 16; Juliana Bater, 15; Ethan Graci, 16; and Deborah Persico, 16; join their peers and fellow citizens as they march for gun control and against gun violence at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, (center), marches with his daughter, Sophia, 16, and Senator Bob Casey at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

    Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, (center), marches with his daughter, Sophia, 16, and Senator Bob Casey at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Lauren Lippe came down from New York to march with her daughter Nicole Rubin, 21, who is a student at the University of Pennsylvania. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

    Lauren Lippe came down from New York to march with her daughter Nicole Rubin, 21, who is a student at the University of Pennsylvania. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Teens got creative with their signs at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

    Teens got creative with their signs at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Princess Rahman, 18, leads chants at the beginning of the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

    Princess Rahman, 18, leads chants at the beginning of the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Lila Smith, 14, from New Jersey, takes a stand at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

    Lila Smith, 14, from New Jersey, takes a stand at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • WWII veteran Walter A. Croen, 94, joins the March for Our Lives in New York City (Provided)

    WWII veteran Walter A. Croen, 94, joins the March for Our Lives in New York City (Provided)

  • A photo from the march in Lancaster, Pa. (Jennifer Lynn/WHYY)

    A photo from the march in Lancaster, Pa. (Jennifer Lynn/WHYY)

Students around the region gathered to protest Saturday as part of the nationwide March for Our Lives, organized by survivors of last month’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Organizers of the flagship march hoped to draw 500,000 protesters to Washington, D.C. That would match the women’s march and make it one of the largest protests in history.

The March for Our Lives protests are slated to be defining moments in the gun violence and ownership debates—spurring some 800 other sister marches to materialize throughout the U.S., including in Philadelphia.

Here’s what the day looked like in Philly and D.C.

The march in Philly

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  • Trash trucks and police vehicles block off the entrance and route of the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Trash trucks and police vehicles block off the entrance and route of the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Grace Chong, 18, (left), stands with fellow student leader Rachel Steinig, 18. The University of Pennsylvania freshmen helped put together the rally aspect of the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Grace Chong, 18, (left), stands with fellow student leader Rachel Steinig, 18. The University of Pennsylvania freshmen helped put together the rally aspect of the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • A young man registers to vote. Volunteers with registration information and forms lined the march route as Philadelphians of all ages participated in the city's March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    A young man registers to vote. Volunteers with registration information and forms lined the march route as Philadelphians of all ages participated in the city's March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Volunteers with voting registration information and forms lined the march route as Philadelphians of all ages participated in the city's March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Volunteers with voting registration information and forms lined the march route as Philadelphians of all ages participated in the city's March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Debbie Collins, of Upper Providence, holds up her 3x5 flag which is completely covered with the dates of school shootings from all over the country and their number of victims in circles; the flag is full. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Debbie Collins, of Upper Providence, holds up her 3x5 flag which is completely covered with the dates of school shootings from all over the country and their number of victims in circles; the flag is full. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School alumna, Rebeca Salus, talks to the crowd gathered at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School alumna, Rebeca Salus, talks to the crowd gathered at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Suzann Christine, a Philadelphia musician, sings to the crowd gathered at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Suzann Christine, a Philadelphia musician, sings to the crowd gathered at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Shakira Fagan, of North Philadelphia, wipes away a tear as she holds onto a painting of her son Irell Williams who was 17 when he was shot and killed. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Shakira Fagan, of North Philadelphia, wipes away a tear as she holds onto a painting of her son Irell Williams who was 17 when he was shot and killed. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • A father of a surviving 9th grader Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School recounts how he legally bought an AR-15 just two years ago and how he gave it in to police after the shooting at his son's school to the crowd gathered at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    A father of a surviving 9th grader Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School recounts how he legally bought an AR-15 just two years ago and how he gave it in to police after the shooting at his son's school to the crowd gathered at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • An anti-gun control activist tries to convince some of the marchers the reasons he believes gun control is not the way to curb gun violence during the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    An anti-gun control activist tries to convince some of the marchers the reasons he believes gun control is not the way to curb gun violence during the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • A group of friends sit and stand as they listen to the speakers at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    A group of friends sit and stand as they listen to the speakers at the Philadelphia March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Demitria Mercer came over from New Jersey to march with her daughter Re'Ann, 18, who is a freshman at Temple University. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Demitria Mercer came over from New Jersey to march with her daughter Re'Ann, 18, who is a freshman at Temple University. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • A protester who wanted the focus to be on police brutality more specifically is removed from the stage during the Philadelphia
    A protester who wanted the focus to be on police brutality more specifically is removed from the stage during the Philadelphia "March For Our Lives" rally in support of gun control on March 24th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Camryn Cobia, who is a member of the Philadelphia Student Union, talks to the crowd gathered at the Philadelphia
    Camryn Cobia, who is a member of the Philadelphia Student Union, talks to the crowd gathered at the Philadelphia "March For Our Lives" rally in support of gun control on March 24th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Thousands of citizens, of all ages, gathered together in Philadelphia to participate in the nationwide March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
  • Devontay Crawford, 18, performs an original song for the crowd gathered at in Philadelphia to participate in the March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
    Devontay Crawford, 18, performs an original song for the crowd gathered at in Philadelphia to participate in the March for Our Lives, March 24, 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

For Sarah Levin at the Germantown Friends School, the protest was more than just about school shootings. It’s about safety — and not just in her own community.

“Even though we are in the suburbs, we want to support everyone else with their struggle,” Levin said. “While we have the attention, I think we should focus on gun violence in every community, not just ours.”

Levin joined hundreds of people who marched Saturday morning from Fifth and Market streets through Old City to Lombard Circle along the Delaware waterfront.

One teacher, Mary Kelly a South Jersey Spanish teacher said she worries about active shooters inside her classroom.

“I keep thinking ‘Where would I put my kids?’” she said. ”My classroom is just off the main hall.”

Polls indicate public opinion may be shifting on the issues surrounding the march this weekend — an opportunity for activists who are hopeful for concrete change.

According to a recent Gallup poll, 73 percent of teachers are opposed to carrying firearms during school hours, as the Trump administration as proposed, and 58 percent of teachers say this would make schools less safe.

One of the organizers of the Philadelphia march, Ethan Block, of Pennington, New Jersey, feels the same. He called arming teachers “an ignorant and destructive proposal.”

“There is no need to own a weapon of war and the presence of such a weapon only causes devastation and pain,” Block said.

Jessica Knapp, a senior at Cheltenham High School, brought a sign counting down the last days of the school year.

“My school had a couple of gun scares and I remember getting off the bus and just thinking ‘I made it home,'” she said. “And I was like, ‘I should be counting down ’til summer, ’til college, but no, I’m counting down to say that I survived.'”

Knapp said she’s looking forward to voting in her first midterm elections to make sure fewer kids feel like she did.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro made an appearance at the rally at Lombard Circle with his son and daughter supporting background checks and banning assault rifles.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey was also at the rally, talking bans on assault rifles, and pointed to Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as the person who can open gun issues for bipartisan debate on a national level.

Two students from Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in Plymouth Meeting, Montgomery County agreed that the answer isn’t doing more drills at schools, but engaging in more conversations to make change.

“Schools, the best way for them to respond isn’t forcing using to do more drills, to feel scared of our own classmates. I think it’s more about community building and realizing that we have impact and we can change things,” junior Kendra Tse said.

“In school, kids aren’t worrying about their tests for the day,” junior Paige Scott. “They’re worrying about when the alarm goes off, ‘Is this actually a drill or am I going to get hurt in school today?’”

The march in D.C.

  • Philadelphia City Councilwoman Helen Gym takes a selfie with students, parents and teachers from Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus on a bus bound for Washington D.C to attend the March for Our Lives. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Philadelphia City Councilwoman Helen Gym takes a selfie with students, parents and teachers from Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus on a bus bound for Washington D.C to attend the March for Our Lives. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Students, parents and teachers from Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus exit a bus after arriving in Washington D.C Saturday morning for the March for Our Lives. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Students, parents and teachers from Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus exit a bus after arriving in Washington D.C Saturday morning for the March for Our Lives. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Students from Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus prepare to make their way to the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Students from Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus prepare to make their way to the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Students from Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus prepare to make their way to the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Students from Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus prepare to make their way to the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Stephanie Devaughn, (left), and her daughter Kyla make their way toward the March for Our Lives along with students, parents and teachers from Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Stephanie Devaughn, (left), and her daughter Kyla make their way toward the March for Our Lives along with students, parents and teachers from Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Science Leadership Academy Junior Lourdes Blazquez holds up her sign in a Metro Station as she and her classmates made their way toward the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Science Leadership Academy Junior Lourdes Blazquez holds up her sign in a Metro Station as she and her classmates made their way toward the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Demonstrators flood the streets of Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Demonstrators flood the streets of Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Stephanie Devaughn, whose daughter attends Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus holds a sign calling for an assault weapons ban at the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Stephanie Devaughn, whose daughter attends Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus holds a sign calling for an assault weapons ban at the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Students from Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus and other demonstrators participate in the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Students from Science Leadership Academy Beeber Campus and other demonstrators participate in the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Demonstrators flood 12th Street in downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Demonstrators flood 12th Street in downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Demonstrators flood 12th Street in downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Demonstrators flood 12th Street in downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Demonstrators flood 12th Street in downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Demonstrators flood 12th Street in downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Demonstrators flood 12th Street in downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Demonstrators flood 12th Street in downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Demonstrators flood the streets of downtown Wahshington D.C. while others take a break at a restaurant during the March for Our Lives Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Demonstrators flood the streets of downtown Wahshington D.C. while others take a break at a restaurant during the March for Our Lives Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Demonstrators flood the streets downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Demonstrators flood the streets downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Demonstrators flood the streets downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Demonstrators flood the streets downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Demonstrators pass by the Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington D.C. Saturday afternoon during the March for Our Lives. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Demonstrators pass by the Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington D.C. Saturday afternoon during the March for Our Lives. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • A lone protestor takes a break from the large during the March for Our Lives Saturday in Washington D.C. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    A lone protestor takes a break from the large during the March for Our Lives Saturday in Washington D.C. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Demonstrators flood the streets of downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Demonstrators flood the streets of downtown Washington D.C during the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Demonstrators head away from the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon in Washington D.C. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Demonstrators head away from the March for Our Lives Saturday afternoon in Washington D.C. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)

Students from Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs also boarded buses to join the flagship protest in Washington, D.C.

One car of kids from Science Leadership Academy Beeber campus in South Philly wrote letters to their senators for tighter gun-control laws on their way to the march.

The students are all writing notes to Pa. Senators on their way to the rally. Here’s one from 15-year-old Kyla Pritchett from SLA Berber (Avi Wolfman-Arent/WHYY)

Protesters started off the day by taking to Pennsylvania Avenue with signs directed toward President Trump, lawmakers, and others to rally behind the cause.

“We will continue to fight for our dead friends,” Delaney Tarr, a survivor of the Florida tragedy, declared from the stage in Washington during the mid-afternoon rally. The crowd roared with approval as she laid down the students’ central demand: a ban on “weapons of war” for all but warriors.

—

Kyrie Greenberg, Avi Wolfman-Arent and The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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