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The Phoenix March for our Lives, one of hundreds of marches worldwide calling for gun law reform, drew about 15,000 protestors to the state Capitol building Saturday.
Marchers and event speakers pushed for policies like removal of guns from convicted domestic abusers, metal detectors at school entrances, stricter background checks, harsher punishments for parents whose children gain access to their weapons, and bans on assault rifles.
Protesters also pushed for voter registration, with dozens of the event’s organizers and representatives from other activist groups posted throughout the state Capitol lawn.
The march also drew dozens of counter-demonstrators, some carrying guns. Counter-demonstrators engaged with the crowd, sometimes in shouting matches, other times in calm debates.
Dozens of clinic escort volunteers in bright pink vests and umbrellas assisted event organizers in de-escalation by standing between marchers and counter-demonstrators.
Clinic escort volunteers are trained to escort women to abortion clinics in the event that protestors are present outside.
No arrests were made, according to Phoenix law enforcement.
The march was organized in response to the murder of 17 students last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and in solidarity with the main March for Our Lives in Washington.
Contact the reporter at Nicole.Neri@asu.edu.
