The Number Of People At The March For Our Lives Proves This Movement Isn't Fading
Gun reform is a serious topic in America right now. On March 24, students, teachers, and gun reform activists joined together to fight for gun control legislation and it was a huge moment in history. So, how many people were at March For Our Lives? People showed up by the thousands.
The March For Our Lives rally in Washington D.C. clearly brought together people from all over the country. As for the actual number of attendees, the number is still unclear. According to CBS News, the March For Our Lives crowd in Washington D.C. was estimated to be 200,000. However, on March 25 the March For Our Lives Twitter account claimed that the Washington D.C. rally drew a crowd of over 850,000. Elite Daily reached out to March For Our Lives to inquire about the number of people who attended and how organizers arrived at their estimate, but hadn't heard back at the time of publication.
Washington D.C. police haven't yet released official numbers for attendance at the march, but we do have some ideas thanks to metro ridership. On March 24 at 4 p.m ET Washington D.C Metro Twitter account stated that metro ridership had reached 334,000 riders, which is about two and a half times the ridership of a normal Saturday. Then, on March 25, the Metro Twitter account revealed that metro ridership on March 24 totaled 558,735 people. Which is definitely a lot of people.
Even though the numbers may be fuzzy, it doesn't change that this was a truly historic day in America.
March For Our Lives is a movement organized by the Parkland, Florida student body, after experiencing a tragic shooting at their high school Marjory Stoneman Douglas on Feb. 14, which killed 17 people. Since, these high school students took their activism outside the classroom and completely changed a nation. One of them, David Hogg, spoke to CNN about the need for gun control legislation and reform.
He said,
We're children. You guys are the adults, you need to take some action and play a role. Work together, come over your politics, and get something done.
March For Our Lives D.C. brought an incredible roster of speakers, performers, and representatives. Best of all? It was truly a moment where youth got to stand up and speak out. According to a tweet from Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, the march organizers reserved the mic for a younger crowd.
He tweeted,
I’m going to be at the “March for our Lives” next Saturday in DC and one of the coolest things about it is that they are not letting any politicians or people over 21 speak. There’s something happening here.
Side note: have you seen Emma Gonzalez's inspiring speech during the March For Our Lives rally? It's basically required watching.
Despite the impressive turnout in Washington D.C, those protesters weren't the only ones marching on March 24. According to the movement's website, 836 sister marches took place across the country, from New York City to LA. Regardless of where you live, your voice is still important, and these smaller rallies prove that free speech is strong no matter the city or state.
Since President Trump's election, America has seen truly inspiring acts of protest, from calls for gun control legislation to advocating women's rights issues. On Jan. 21, 2017, the largest U.S. demonstration in history took place when millions of people marched to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Organized by an inspiring group of women, the 2017 Women's March brought together an estimated 4 million people across 486 marches in America. The crowd in D.C. in 2017 was estimated at around 440,000 people, according to CBS News.
May 2018 bring more strong voices and inspiring moments of activism. I can't wait to see what the rest of this year has in store.
