Local students rally to end gun violence on anniversary of Columbine massacre
Students at Rosemont Middle School rallied on campus Friday to protest gun violence on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting.
Roughly 35 students on the La Crescenta campus joined thousands of their peers across the country as part of the National School Walkout movement. The local rally was spearheaded by a pair of 13-year-old Rosemont eight-graders, Roan Thibault and Lucy Rickey.
The two previously organized a “die-in” demonstration at the school last month.
“Growing up, we always knew about [Columbine and school shootings],” Rickey said before the rally. “And when we heard about the Parkland shooting, it was really shocking to us that this was still going on after so many years.”
Students began to gather on Rosemont’s front lawn just before noon. Several of them were clad in orange shirts, a color used by gun-control supporters, and carried signs with messages such as “Will I die at school tomorrow?” and “Teachers Aren’t Soldiers.”
During the two hours in front of the school, eight students gave speeches calling for stricter gun-control laws and an end to violence.
Nicole Rowley talked about her unease when leaving for school in the morning.
“Before I leave for school, I tell my mom I love her,” she said. “After I shut the door, I wonder if those are the last words I said to her.”
The morbid thought used to cross her mind “every once in a while but now it’s at least five out of seven days each week,” Rowley said.
“I should not be worried about my last words at the age of 13,” she added.
Thibault said he was thankful for officials with the Glendale Unified School District and Rosemont for facilitating the event. While district officials could not take a stance either way, he said they didn’t take any action to restrict the walkout.
“The school [definitely respected] our 1st Amendment rights,” Thibault said. “Just by allowing us to use this location and post fliers.”
While most of the students at the rally were supportive of the event, there were counterprotestors.
Six students stood silently to the side with signs saying “Protect kids with guns” and “Guns aren’t the problem, people are.”
Dylan Le, a seventh-grader at the school, said one solution to protect students would be to arm teachers and not take away guns.
“I do believe we should have stricter regulations on buying guns such as a longer waiting period and more thorough background checks,” he said. “But I don’t believe we should take away guns.”
In addition to the speeches, the students spent time calling members of Congress and leaving pro-gun-control messages. A representative from Moms Demand Action, a gun-control organization founded in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, also addressed the students.
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
