The Oracle
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U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I DA
Students and community members march against gun violence
Activists in Tampa and around the world protested in the first ever March for Our Lives event to take a stand against gun violence. ORACLE PHOTO/SAMANTHA MOFFETT By Jesse Stokes M A N A G I N G
E D I T O R
In light of the recent school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSD), activists around the world, including those in the Tampa area, aligned with one another for the first ever March for Our Lives event to take a stand against gun violence. March for Our Lives took place in nearly every major U.S. city, including New York, Boston and perhaps most notably, Washington. Events also took place in countries abroad such as France, Japan and Colombia. In all, 843 marches took
place on a single day filled with activism and unification behind a single cause that hits home for many. Amy Weintraub served as one of the adult advisers to help the student organizers with the process of putting on such a big event. In a message to The Oracle, Weintraub said safety measures were a primary concern for event organizers. “The Tampa Police Department has been an amazing partner to the student organizers … Tampa Police (were) fully prepared for the event,” Weintraub said. Weintraub also said the event was fully funded by private donors,
with donations ranging both large and small. “Private funders have come forward in support of the event,” Weintraub said. “Donations have ranged from $5 to $5,000 (which was the biggest contribution — a grant from EveryTown for Gun Safety).” According to Plant High School student and event co-lead, Macie Lavender, March for Our Lives Tampa Bay had approximately 13,000 people in attendance. The event started and finished at Kiley Garden in Downtown Tampa on Saturday morning. “I love that I was able to contribute to the national movement, as well
as give local Tampa teenagers a platform to speak their mind and be heard,” Lavender said in a message to The Oracle. “We wanted to show the unity of our community in support of national gun reform and legislation, as well as raise awareness and I think we accomplished that, which is amazing! This is the first step of a long journey of activism as a young adult, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to join my voice with the millions of other students nationwide protesting yesterday.” Of those in attendance were a number of USF students, including the USF representative
for the March, Karen Logsdon. According to Logsdon, her role in helping to plan the event ranged from organizing meetings with interested USF students, serving as a liaison between students and organizers, and serving as the co-chair for the outreach committee for the March. Logdon said events such as the March for Our Lives are important for students to participate in. “It is necessary for myself and for all students to participate in this event because we are students and we are the change we want to see,” Logsdon said. “The state of gun violence in America is completely
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