The weekly rallies outside Rep. Issa’s offices moved to GOP candidate Rocky Chavez’ Oceanside office to protest his NRA ties. Credit: Indivisible San Diego
The mission and moral clarity of the student survivors of the Valentines Day shooting in Parkland, Florida continues to have a nationwide impact. Locally there will be March for Our Lives rallies on Saturday in Temecula, Escondido, and downtown San Diego. And these mass gatherings are not occurring in a vacuum.
Indivisible 49 and its coalition partners moved its weekly protest on Tuesday from the Vista office of Rep. Darrell Issa to the Oceanside office of State Assemblyman Rocky Chávez, who seeks to replace Issa in Congress. Several hundred people showed up to make their feelings known about Chavez’s 93% approval rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and its endorsement during his last campaign.
The Del Mar City Council is asking directors of the nearby fairgrounds to end their relationship with the Crossroads of the West Gun Show, held there five times a year. According to the Union-Tribune, they have also reached out to 78th District Assemblyman Todd Gloria and State Sen. Toni Atkins to draw up legislation prohibiting gun shows at the facility. The City of Solana Beach will be considering a similar action.
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Saturday’s March for Our Lives, with events in 838 cities worldwide, is the culmination of a month-long effort to honor the 17 students and faculty members killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and rally Americans across the United States to say ‘enough’ to gun violence.
Locations for March for Our Lives events around the United States.
“Not one more,” the March’s Mission Statement reads. “We cannot allow one more child to be shot at school. We cannot allow one more teacher to make a choice to jump in front of a firing assault rifle to save the lives of students. We cannot allow one more family to wait for a call or text that never comes. Our schools are unsafe. Our children and teachers are dying. We must make it our top priority to save these lives.”
In addition to showing their support for victims of gun violence, march organizers hope the rally will inspire concrete legislative outcomes. Voter registration events are set for various locales in the hope that the energy generated during these protests will translate into high turnout during November’s midterm elections.
A petition on the event’s website, March for Our Lives, lists three primary demands:
- Pass a law to ban the assault weapons frequently used to carry out mass shootings
- Stop the sale of high-capacity magazines, restricting the amount of ammunition
- Close loopholes in America’s background checks and implement laws that require background checks on every gun purchase, including those that occur online or at gun shows
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Saturday’s downtown march route
The rally in downtown San Diego will begin at 10am at Waterfront Park (1600 Harbor Drive), followed by a march through downtown led by local high school students starting at 11am, and wrapping up with Voter Registration and networking back at the park.
Over 15,000 people have indicated interest in attending the San Diego March for Our Lives, endorsed by The Wagon Circle, San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention, San Diego County Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, SWANAA-San Diego, San Diego Moms Demand Action, Women’s March San Diego, San Diego Action United, ACTIVIST SAN DIEGO, Together We Will: San Diego, San Diego Area Chapter of NOW, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, Allies For Women, CAIR San Diego, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego Unified Board of Education, Indivisible San Diego Countywide, Pillars of the Community San Diego, Interfaith Justice Coalition.
Adults are still needed to be marshalls at for the downtown march “March for Our Lives.” The last training will be held on Friday, March 23 at 6:30 pm at Waterfront Park.
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The Escondido March for Our Lives will begin at City Hall, 201 North Broadway, starting at 10am.
The Temecula March for Our Lives will be led by Great Oak High School Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Start time is 10am at the Temecula Duck Pond, 28250 Ynez Road.
A Solutions to Gun Violence Forum will be held at the Ramona Public Library (1275 Main Street) on Sunday, March 25, starting at 12:30pm. The event is part of Indivisible Ramona’s Common Ground series with speakings including a mental health professional and a representative of the San Diego chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
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If you have a printer capable of printing an 11 x 17 image, CREDO Mobile has free downloadable posters.
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Advocates have called for another national school walkout on April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting.
The Network for Public Education has also called for people to take their own action — whether it be organizing walkouts, sit-ins or rallies — to bring attention to school safety on that day, calling it the “National Day of Action Against Gun Violence in Schools.”
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Proud of Merced!! Hope to be there!!