Our Lives Matter: Marching Legally For Change

The March for Our Lives is a student-led movement that advocates for gun control legislation. The first demonstration took place in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2018, with over 880 concurrent events across the globe. The event was a response to the tragic Parkland high school shooting and urged for universal background checks on gun sales and the restoration of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban. Since its inception, the movement has mobilized millions of young people to demand an end to gun violence and has helped pass over 300 gun safety laws. While the movement has faced criticism and opposition, it has also received significant celebrity and corporate support, with prominent figures such as George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, and Steven Spielberg lending their voices and resources to the cause. The question arises: does the March for Our Lives break any laws?

Is the March for Our Lives illegal?

The March for Our Lives (MFOL) is a student-led organization that leads demonstrations in support of gun control legislation. The first demonstration took place in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2018, with over 880 sibling events across the United States and around the world. The event followed the Parkland high school shooting a month earlier, which was described by several media outlets as a possible tipping point for gun control legislation.

The right to peaceful assembly is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Therefore, the March for Our Lives is not illegal. However, to ensure the safety of participants and compliance with local regulations, organizers of the march filed a permit application with the National Park Service during the week of February 23, 2018. A permit was later obtained for Pennsylvania Avenue.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) criticized the march, claiming that it was "backed by radicals with a history of violent threats, language and actions". However, fact-checking organization PolitiFact rated this statement as "without merit".

The March for Our Lives has received support from various celebrities, activists, and politicians, including George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Elizabeth Warren, and Andrew Yang.

What are the demands of the March for Our Lives?

The March for Our Lives (MFOL) is a student-led organisation that leads demonstrations in support of gun control legislation. The first demonstration took place in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2018, with over 880 similar events taking place across the United States and around the world. The event followed the Parkland high school shooting a month earlier.

Protesters called for universal background checks on all gun sales, closing the gun show loophole, a restoration of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, and a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines and bump stocks in the United States.

Since the 2018 march, MFOL has continued to advocate for gun control legislation. Their demands for the Biden-Harris administration included:

• Appointing a Director of Gun Violence Prevention, a senior, cabinet-adjacent staffer who reports directly to the President.
• Prioritising the directive to address gun violence from the top of government.
• Ensuring that the Director of GVP has cabinet-level authority and reflects the understanding that gun violence is a public health crisis.
• Considering candidates who have been impacted by gun violence and who bring an intersectional approach for the role of Director of GVP.
• Empanelling a task force, including agency and bureau heads, and working to empower federal agencies that have been weakened by the gun lobby, such as the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
• Ensuring that any task force or committee chaired by the Director dedicates at least 25% of its membership to youth voices and centres BIPOC community leaders.
• Making near-universal background checks mandatory, requiring anyone who sells 5 or more guns per year to run a background check on all gun sales.
• Mandating and enforcing licence revocation for gun manufacturers and dealers who break the law.
• Closing the boyfriend loophole to prevent those convicted of domestic abuse from purchasing firearms.
• Reversing President Trump's change to the definition of "fugitive from justice".
• Holding the gun industry accountable by directing the IRS to investigate the tax-exempt nonprofit status of the NRA, and directing the FEC to investigate whether the NRA has broken campaign finance laws.
• Increasing oversight of arms exports by shifting regulatory authority back to the State Department and/or ensuring Congressional signoff.
• Declaring gun violence a national public health emergency, with the short-term goal of unlocking at least $1 billion in funding to be distributed to states for community intervention programming and data collection with a public health lens.
• Utilising discretionary agency grant funding and earmarking additional funding for states to go towards evidence-based and effective community programming.
• Pegging funding for federal firearm injury research to the firearm mortality burden, with a minimum $37 million increase in annual funding focused on children and adolescents.
• Restoring funding for student safety and school-based programs, including funding for counselling, therapy, and other trauma-informed approaches.
• Broadening the reach of the NIH and CDC research to include a national, large-scale survey of public health, including firearms violence questions related to ownership and violence.

What is the March for Our Lives?

March for Our Lives (MFOL) is a student-led organization that leads demonstrations in support of gun control legislation. The first demonstration took place in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2018, with over 880 similar events taking place across the United States and the world. The event was planned by Never Again MSD in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Everytown for Gun Safety. It followed the Parkland high school shooting a month earlier, which several media outlets described as a potential tipping point for gun control legislation.

Protesters at the initial march urged for universal background checks on all gun sales, the closing of the gun show loophole, a restoration of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, and a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines and bump stocks in the United States. Turnout was estimated to be between 1.2 and 2 million people in the United States, making it one of the largest protests in American history.

Since its inception, March for Our Lives has mobilized millions of young people to demand an end to gun violence. The organization has set out to achieve this through various means, including advocating for laws that will end gun violence, fighting for gun safety candidates, and organizing to vote the gun lobby out of Capitol Hill.

March for Our Lives has had some notable successes. For example, they helped pass the first federal gun safety law in thirty years, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. They also successfully defended the constitutionality of assault weapons bans, such as in the case of the Illinois Assault Weapons Ban. In addition, the organization has broken youth voter records since 2018 and has contributed to the passing of over 300 lifesaving gun safety laws across the country.

The founding members of MFOL were awarded Smithsonian magazine's 2018 American Ingenuity Award in the Youth category.

Who are the March for Our Lives' opponents?

The March for Our Lives movement has faced opposition from various groups and individuals, including:

National Rifle Association (NRA)

The NRA, one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the US, has been a vocal opponent of the March for Our Lives movement. They have characterised the movement as being manipulated and exploited by "gun-hating billionaires and Hollywood elites" and have accused the participants of wanting to destroy the Second Amendment.

Republican Politicians

Republican politicians, including Florida Senator Marco Rubio, have pushed back against the movement's calls for stricter gun control measures, citing concerns about infringing on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Former Republican senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum criticised the movement, suggesting that students should focus on learning how to respond to a shooter rather than demanding gun control legislation.

Libertarian Magazine Reason

The Libertarian magazine Reason criticised the movement, arguing that gun violence has declined significantly over the past 25 years and that mass shootings are not the norm. They claimed that students do not need to live in fear of going to school.

Social Media Backlash

On social media, fake pictures and GIFs of March for Our Lives supporter X González tearing up a copy of the US Constitution were circulated in an attempt to discredit the movement. Actor and conservative commentator Adam Baldwin defended the circulation of these doctored images as "political satire."

What is the impact of the March for Our Lives?

The March for Our Lives (MFOL) is a student-led organization that leads demonstrations in support of gun control legislation. The first demonstration took place in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2018, with over 880 similar events taking place throughout the United States and around the world. The event followed the Parkland high school shooting a month earlier, which was described by several media outlets as a possible tipping point for gun control legislation.

The impact of the March for Our Lives has been significant and wide-ranging. Firstly, it has mobilized millions of young people to demand an end to gun violence and call for stricter gun control laws. The movement has also been successful in passing new gun safety laws, with over 250 laws passed since its inception. This includes the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first federal gun safety law in thirty years. The movement has also contributed to increasing youth voter turnout, with young people turning out in record numbers in the last three elections.

The March for Our Lives has also had an impact on the national conversation around gun violence. It has brought attention to the issue of gun violence and has forced politicians and lawmakers to address the concerns of young people. The movement has been praised for its "extraordinary inclusiveness," expanding the focus from suburban schools to those in urban neighborhoods as well. The impact of the March for Our Lives has also been felt internationally, with solidarity marches and protests taking place in various cities around the world.

The March for Our Lives has faced criticism and opposition, particularly from gun rights advocates such as the National Rifle Association (NRA). Despite this, the movement has persisted and continued to gain support, with celebrities and public figures lending their voices and resources to the cause. The impact of the March for Our Lives has been felt across the United States and has contributed to a growing movement for gun control and an end to gun violence.

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