A group of students from Princess Margaret Secondary are joining American teenagers to push for a revolution on gun control.
“My sign says, ‘No more thoughts, no more prayers, we demand action’,” Grade 11 student Husain Sattar said on Monday, showing his protest sign to Global Okanagan.
“Mine says, ‘No more silence, end gun violence’,” Grade 11 student Sarah Wood said.
The pair will take their signs — and their voices — to Spokane, Washington on March 24 to attend a “March For Our Lives” student-led rally.
“We want to show that even though we are from Canada and just this small school in Penticton, that we feel for them and that we care for them and we support them in what they’re trying to do,” Wood said.
It’s been almost three weeks since former student Nikolas Cruz is accused of opening fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.
He is charged with killing 17 students and teachers with an AR-15 assault weapon.
The mass shooting has fueled a debate over gun control in the halls of the Florida Capitol and sparked an international student-led movement targeting U.S. lawmakers.
“I think a lot of people are saying, ‘Oh the teenagers want to ban all the guns,’ but that’s not the case for a lot of people,” Wood said.
“It’s just more measures, more mental health checks, just look into someone’s background before they’ll be able to walk into a Walmart and buy a gun.”
The students turned activists said they want to stand in solidarity with their American counterparts.
“All of us standing there arms linked and just knowing that we’re there for the same reason — that we don’t want any more kids dead,” Sattar said.
While it is not a school-sanctioned event, students are raising funds for a charter bus so at least 30 students can attend the Washington State rally.
“We’re really hoping that we can get help with transportation,” Sattar said.
With some parents already on board, they’re hoping to make a difference so no child is afraid to go to school.
“We’re not going to be quiet anymore. We’re going to take a stand and demand action,” Wood said.
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