WALK OUT

His teammate Mateo Tullar said he hasn’t really been involved in gun control advocacy before, but Garcia’s death made the issue painfully personal.

“We’re here, really, just to make sure our voices are heard,” said Tullar, a junior. “A bunch of teenagers in a room are not gonna really do anything. ey don’t want to listen to us. But we’ll be loud. We’re gonna make sure that they know why we’re here.” e protest coincided with the annual lobby day for gun regulation advocates at the Capitol and was organized by the group Everytown for Gun Safety and its Colorado a liates. e students gathered on the West steps of the state Capitol building around 9 a.m. and demanded that lawmakers take action.

They said they should feel safe while at school.

“We don’t think it’s fair that people lose their lives for no reason, when they’re innocent, when they’re trying to get their education… it’s not fair,” said Leah Reyes, a student at Denver School for International Studies at Baker. “It just scares us. Like, if it were to happen to us.”

One high school senior said she had attended and spoken at least three other similar events centered around ending gun violence.

Democratic lawmakers have introduced some of their most sweeping gun regulations in years, including bills to raise the purchase age for retaliation. Her union represents higher education workers, library workers, and public defenders, among others.

She said public employees do have certain rights under federal statutes. But Kelly said that employers often violate those laws because a federal complaint must be led by workers when there are issues. It’s a di cult process that creates hostile work environments where public employees feel they can’t speak out, she said. Kelly said ling a complaint is expensive and takes up a lot of time and “employers know that.”

By extending the federal rights for private workers to public workers statewide, the bill would ensure the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment enforces these rights and step in when violations happen, mediate any issues, and take action.

Democrats in the state legislature have been pushing for more rights for public sector workers. e legislation lawmakers passed last year grants county employees the right to organize and bargain collectively over pay and working conditions. at law also prohibits strikes, work stoppages, and work slowdowns. But facing sti opposition from school district administrators, school boards, higher education o cials, and Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, education workers were excluded from last year’s bill.

Senate Bill 111 is sponsored by all rearms to 21 years old and to require a three-day waiting period for gun buyers. A bill to ban certain types of rearms and accessories deemed particularly dangerous could also be introduced. is story is from Denverite, a nonpro t Denver news source a liated with CPR News. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite.com.

A few lawmakers stepped out of the Capitol to listen to students’ demands. Parents and school sta members also joined, along with students from nearby North eld and other schools around the city.

Outside of East High’s front door, people left owers to honor Garcia. Before the walkout began, students read a poem written by Garcia talking about gun violence and wanting to have a safe school.