to take part in a large for our lives rally calling on lawmakers to take action against gun violence in schools. the large take place in washington dc. live coverage will begin at new eastern on c-span. >> on wednesday students from the d.c. area to our and the tok out at the u.s. capitol demand action by congress on gun policy and school safety. speakers included high school students, nancy pelosi, chuck and johnbernie sanders lewis. this is about an hour and 40 minutes. we want change. we want change.

we want change. [chanting "we want change"]

[inaudible] change"] "we want

>> we want to begin the program, thank you so much.

can everybody hear me, how is everyone doing today? are you ready to stand up for change? we will bring up a senior at blair high school to kick off our program. applause]nd students.rning

and i am a senior at montgomery blair high school. i am a member of students were gun control. organization a week after the parkland shooting to be a voice instructor -- for stricter gun control. good morning students. to an ipo senior at

montgomery blair high school in a proud member of montgomery county students were gun control. we founded this organization a week after the part when shooting to give students a voice in the fight for stricter gun control. we have proven that now is the time for change. we have been empowered by each and every one of you that has come out today. ago we stood with our backs to the white house for 17 minutes for all of the victims for the shooting in part one, florida. we remain silent, standing together as one. what parkland showed us is that this could happen at any one of

our schools. and we as students can't take this anymore. we have to fight to create change. we have to stand up against the status quo. andave to call on congress keep calling until they hear our message. [cheering] if you can speak, speak. if you can march, march. and when you can vote, vote. [cheering] our voices matter. and when we stand up, when we speak out, we make it harder for those in power to continue doing nothing. silence, not one more minute! [cheering]

today, we are doing more than just taking our first steps. we are about to hear from powerful student leaders and some of our elected representatives about the fight for gun control. i encourage you to use twitter, instagram, social media, anything you can with the #enough is enough dmv. we want to spread our message further than just this area. together, we are taking a giant leap in the right direction. i want to take a moment -- [cheering] i want to take a moment to say thank you to the national legislators showing their solidarity today. for this reason, i am deeply honored to introduce someone who has been an active advocate for gun control in congress. please join me in welcoming -- welcoming, nancy pelosi. [cheering]

mrs. pelosi: good morning dmv. thank you, breanna. thank you to all the montgomery county school -- students for your courage to stand up, speak out, and walk out. i'm proud to be here with erin, deutchrganized with ted of florida, our leader on this issue. representing and congress the students who have sacrificed so much, spoken so eloquently, commanded the attention of the nation. aaron has helped organize the congressional solidarity walkout that all of us are honored to be a part of. [cheering] we are all moved by your eloquent and your fearless insistence on action to prevent gun kind -- been violence. thank you for bringing your urgency to this fight, to the

doorsteps of america, the doorstep of the capital of the united states. [cheering] our congressional solidarity walkout is here to say, enough is enough. [cheering] are orlando, las vegas, newtown, sutherland springs, parkland, city streets, homes across the nation, there has been too much of violence, too much heartbreak. the american people overwhelmingly support commonsense action to prevent the tragedy of gun violence. 97% of americans support strengthening background checks, including 97% of gun owners. what more do they need to hear? --re is a bipartisan pass path in congress pay we need a vote now. we need a vote now. we need a vote now. and so, i want to say to all of

you, you are creating with this walkout today, and your ongoing talent to all of us to the conscious of america, you are creating a drumbeat across america. a drumbeat that will go until we get the job done. [cheering] colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, no one's political survival is more important than the survival of our children. let's get the job done. we need the help of young people like you. thank you for your eloquence, your courage, your presence, and your insistence that enough is enough. we want a vote now. now, it is my privilege to ofroduce the board president public schools, matt coast. thank you all.

thank you very much. [cheering] matt: good morning. good morning. my name is matt post. i'm a 12th grader. the student member of the board for montgomery county, and i believe that as students, we need to make a few things clear. to start, we will not sit in classrooms with armed teachers. [cheering] fear.use to learn in we reject turning our schools into prisons. [cheering] we will accept nothing less than comprehensive gun control. if it is what it takes, we will shame our national policy makers into protecting us. [cheering] schools, but in

churches, movie theaters, on the streets, and the communities of arer which disproportionately devastated by the sickness of gun violence. [cheering] lawmakers who fail to support us, those who look for every answer to our nations gun problems, but the guns themselves, will be complicit in every death and that comes after. to every politician sitting and congress working behind us, you get to decide who lives. and so, this is not a partisan issue for us. there is nothing cosmetic about life or death. this is about guns, and it is about our morality as a country. when the commander in chief's solution to this country's gun problem is more guns, you know we have a moral problem in this white house. [cheering] two national policymakers -- went national policy makers value the bloodmoney of the nra

over the lives of children, you know we have a moral problem in the halls of congress. [cheering] when this is doomed to happen again, when in the coming weeks and months more of my peers will be slaughtered in their own classrooms, when their deaths will be dismissed as collateral, you know you have a moral problem in this country. [cheering] let's make one last thing clear. their right to own an assault rifle does not out -- outweigh our right to live. [cheering] the adults have failed us. this is in our hands now. if any elected official gets in our way, we will vote them out and replace them ourselves. [cheering] enough is enough. enough is enough. now it is my pleasure to introduce the senate unless fought for us and fought for this cause for a long time.

senate minority leader chuck schumer. let's hear it for --sen. schumer: let's hear formats and his great words. , 14month ago, 17 americans children were clear -- killed. let us remember them. let us remember the thousands upon thousands of children who have died at the hands of gun violence yesterday, there were 7000 pairs of unworn shoes here on the east front of the capital representing 7000 kids. whose lives could have been before them. who died of gun violence only since sandy hook. enough is enough. [cheering]

i have been through these wars, i am the author of the brady law and the assault weapons ban, the nra -- [cheering] made me public enemy number one and i am proud of it. [cheering] we have been fighting for 10 years. every time the vice like grip of ks of thesethe nec politicians has succeeded, but this time it will not you want to know why? because we have you. [cheering] together, we are going to win. we are going to win. we are going to win. we are going to win. we are going to win. going to win.]e

sen. schumer: don't give up the fight. we will win. [cheering] now, it is my honor to introduce a great senator who has worked so hard after it was in his the horrible violence of stoneman douglas occurred, your great senator, fighter, for rational laws, to keep us safe, senator bill nelson of florida. [cheering] ok, you know we are grieving in florida. to now, you are giving voice that grief. when you march on march 24, it is going to be a visible expression of the grief we have been through.

it is common sense that we should have universal background checks. [cheering] sense that weon riflesget the assault and the banana clips off the streets. [cheering] keep on marching and keep on speaking out. thank you. god bless you. [cheering] >> hello. my name is nathan. i'm a student at john f. kennedy high school montgomery. 25 years ago, my parents immigrated to montgomery county because they believed in the promise of this country. they told the about their hardships that they faced in their native country. and their education system, one

supposedly not as developed as ours, they didn't have enough papers and pencils for the students get through the lack of resources, through their struggles, they never had to worry about someone barging into their classrooms with an assert -- assault rifle. that is an american tragedy. [cheering] they never had to think about getting shot at any moment. that is in american thought. they never had to worry about their child would be the victim of mass shootings. that is an american worry. donenited states, we have control laws for toy first century reality to we have known the solutions since columbine. despite there being more than 200 school shootings since then, congress has done nothing. weapons fromep everybody and expand upon our mental health resources. [cheering] the solution isn't arming teachers, nor is it to our more people. my parents knew that as soon as

they move to this country. together, we will get gun reform because it is the right thing to do. we will get the background checks because it is the right -- right thing to do. we will optimize our psychiatric evaluations because it is the right thing to do. [cheering] more thanare worth the millions of nra money into the campaign. on these issues, let me be clear. there is no compromise. we are not seeking a republican solution or democratic solution. we are seeking an american resolution. [cheering] revive -- revise the removeso that we can these profound feelings of fear and inside a and what should be our safest institution. thank you. [cheering] it is in the spirit that i'm

delighted to welcome senator murphy senator blumenthal, and representative at sea. thank you. great job, and he. -- nate. how are we doing, washington, d.c.? [cheering] let me tell you what happened in my life yesterday. my six went to his kindergarten class yesterday and got locked in a bathroom with 24 of his classmates for an active shooter drill. that should never happen in the united states of america. no one should have to go through that. [cheering] couple of simple questions for the people here. for the students here who are going to leave this movement. i want to know, are you prepared to do whatever it takes to beat the gun lobby? [cheering] are you going to hold every

single person in this building accountable for your safety? [cheering] are you going to vote out of office the people who take the gun lobby money and put your safety at risk? [cheering] , the students of america, going to lead this movement to victory? [cheering] great social change movement in this country that has not been led by the youth of america. [cheering] and i just have one simple message for you. it is not going to be easy. there are going to be defeats before you reach final victory. but also, defining the great social movements in this country is the ones who sought -- assault adversary and pushed through it are the ones we read in our history books. by answering those questions as yes, with i know we will be -- beat the nra. we will kick out members of

congress who do not listen to you. and we will deliver change in the end. [cheering] >> do we have anyone here from connecticut? we do, great. i'm richard blumenthal. i'm proud to be the united states senator from connecticut with chris murphy and to be here with elizabeth at the, our great congressional colleague. if it were up to me, i would at a,veryone of you an america owes you an a for your grade today. i am actually proud of the grade i got from the nra. it is an f grade. [cheering] is thaton it is an f fort two decades, i have fought

for sensible common sense measures against gun violence. closehave never felt as to victory. i have never felt as close to victory as we are today. [cheering] because of you. because you have the energy and passion, not just to walk out of school, but to walk into this building and make change happen. that is what it is going to take. let me ask you. [cheering] going to ban assault weapons? >> yes. >> are we going to have universal background checks? >> yes. >> and are we going to give parents and law enforcement the right to take away guns from people who threaten to blow up

schools or kill people? >> yes. remember that junke has always come of people. of the civil rights movement, in the antiwar movement, in the marriage equality movement, and in today's movement, it is a movement. are you willing to be part of it and fight to the end? >> yes. long aftermenthal: we are gone, you are going to remember this day. and america will remember that you were here. thank you so much for your energy and passion. we will win. thank you. [cheering] >> testing. testing.

rep. esty: is it on now? is it on now? no? ok. >> can you hear me? >> yes. rep. esty: can you hear me? is this working? all right, is it working? yes, ok. my name is elizabeth esty. i'm wearing green for the six and seven euros kids who were my district of newtown, connecticut. you, the parkland, newtown generation, you are making the difference. you are american -- america's leaders to you know enough to say, we have to do better. [cheering]

democracy is about the will of the people, 97% want these laws changed. what is this place doing? nothing. what are you going to do? >> everything. going to: we are change the law or we are going to change who is in congress. get -- all right. >> let her speak. let her speak. let her speak. let her speak.

>> we are very proud of what you are doing. you, the young people of this country, are leading the nation. all across the country, people are sick and tired of gun violence and the time is now. all of us together, to stand up to the nra. [cheering] and prepare common sense gun legislation. youst want to thank all of for your courage and intelligence and for leading the nation in the right direction. thank you all. [cheering]

>> bernie! bernie! bernie! bernie! bernie! [cheering]

>> all right. the kids of newtown were too young to speak for themselves. but you, you are students. you need to call this congress to account for you know what, we change the laws in congress, or we are going to change congress. [cheering] and you are going to leave that. -- lead that. the folks in this building, they can lead, they can follow, or they can start looking for new jobs. [cheering] thank you for what you do.

it is my pleasure to announce emily from einstein. emily: my name is emily. i go to albert einstein high school. i will start off with a request from you all. raise your hand if you feel unsafe at school. look around. and yet, they don't understand why. they don't understand why we are here today. they don't understand why we were here three weeks ago. they don't understand why we are asking for stricter gun laws. they don't understand why we want background checks. they can't wrap their heads around the fact that teenagers, all across america, are sick and tired of leading this movement. [cheering] and they don't understand that we are not going anywhere until we see change in our system. we, the people, have a responsibility to protect our own.

and we the students have taken it upon ourselves, which you, notadults, because it is simply about gun control anymore. oh, here. wait. ok. because it is not simply about gun control. this is about human life. this is about the children who have lost their lives to gun violence. i ask our public and lawmakers, is their right to have a gun more important than our right to live? [cheering] there not here to take away second amendment. we are here to make sure those who are not fit to carry a weapon do not carry a weapon. [cheering] children are6

shocked every day. out of those 46, 7 died. right toin, is there carry a weapon more important than our right to live? >> no. emily: since january of last year, our country has been more divided than ever. the activist community has been very prominent. we have the black lives matter movement, the maker and rights -- the immigrant rights movement, we come together for this gun control movement. [cheering] limit toment does not race or ethnicity. it affects us all. i'm scared as a latina to say that minority communities should not feel as though their voices do not matter in this. our communities have been dealing with this issue for so long. [speaking spanish]

and now, it is my pleasure to introduce to you, representative to get is from illinois. >> thank you, emily. thank you for inviting me. thank you for allowing me as a

part of this process. i want to start with a quote. we are not talking about weapons design for hunting or sport. we're not talking about those designed to kill human beings. it is about time we stand up and say we will not allow them in our community. [cheering] that was from the chicago tribune. in february of 1993. 25 years ago, almost to the day. the article has the headline, new congressman takes aim at guns. the new congressman was me. [cheering] 25 years ago, one of my proudest moments as a freshman congressman was to vote for an assault weapons ban. [cheering] now, we need action and not talk. not nice thoughts

and prayers. [cheering] security, not and safe talking points that secures people's reelection. [cheering] it was 25 years ago when i was quoted. none of you were born. yet, we are all still here. long assaulte weapons ban the spidered -- expired, still asking those people the building behind us, to adopt commonsense policy to keep americans from shooting and killing other americans. 17 killed in parkland. in just a few minutes. shot this year alone for march. last year in my city, 600 murdered. it is a national tragedy.

, we have gun control laws in our city. let me tell you something that has changed from 25 years ago. and it is not just that i am a senior citizen now. [laughter] i look at the crowd, and i see the future. i see you. and i came here to say, thank you. [cheering] know that you will accomplish what i and others have failed to do. and i thank you on behalf of my own grandson who today is taking his 17 minutes outside of his school. [cheering] i thank you because of you, you are guaranteeing his future and the future of all americans. [cheering] this one, you know

and we will chant it together. puedos! i want to tell all of you because i know there are dreamers walking among you and are your classmates. [cheering] march for them. march for safety. you know why i am before this microphone, because black lives matter and latinos -- and they have lost their lives. because in the 60 -- 1960's, when i was in high school, there were black americans who marched and abide by the system and said we needed voting rights and we needed equal rights. and i have this microphone. spanish]

in 1972, i got the first chance from 21,hey reduced it 2 18. i think that was a smart decision. i think a smart decision is rethinking once again lowering the voting age so young people can take -- turn this country around. [cheering] thank you. puedos! [chanting] >> everybody here me? -- hear me? you guys can hear me? my name is michael sullivan. i'm a sophomore at springbrook high school.

before i start, i want to thank everybody who has helped us, all the individuals and organizations. we couldn't have done this without you guys. most of all, i want to thank every single one of you out here, because you guys are the fuel that the engine of this movement needs to run on. [cheering] of you to know that you are all on the right side of history for this. [cheering] personally, i am glad to take part -- part in a powerful nationwide movement like the one we are participating in today. in ane can all agree, ideal world, none of us would be here. --an ideal world, the 21st 20 first graders who died in sandy hook would be in middle school today. the 58 concertgoers who were gunned down in las vegas would have gone home and returned to be with their families. world, the 32 students who died at virginia tech would be employed

professionals and the 17 victims from stoneman douglas would probably be eating lunch at school right now. the only thing they would be worrying about as a test for next period. [cheering] this isn'tnately, the case. unfortunately, we live in a country where lawmakers are more concerned about their contributions from the nra than they are about the lives of their own constituents. [cheering] them, youpeople like and i have to go to school every day and wonder in the back of our minds, if we will even make it to graduation. that shouldn't happen. so, this will go on for no longer. we, the students of the united states, have a message for all of you in congress. if you don't give us stricter background checks, have restrictions on ar-15 style

weapons, and easier access to mental health institutions and resources, you will pay dearly at the ballot box. [cheering] this november, most of us are 18 today. and the rest, a lot of us will be 18 by november. that is when midterm elections start. [cheering] this, do youryou jobs, it is concrete solutions, and for once, value our lives over your bank accounts or we will vote you out. [cheering] i want everyone to remember, everyone watching this, this is not an excuse to skip school or is it a pointless effort that will bear no feud -- fruit. i want everyone to remember history. to remember that the protest in the march on washington during

the civil rights movement got us voting rights act to the civil rights into the 1960's. [cheering] i want everyone to remember that the protests from the women's suffrage movement gave us the 19th amendment. [cheering] so on and so forth. i want all of you to know that ranks us will join their in the history books because we come at too, will remain persistent until their israel change. thank you. [cheering] -- until there is real change. thank you. [cheering] i would like to introduce senator van hollen. thank you, michael. do we have montgomery county maryland in the house? [cheering] time, it will be different. [cheering] listening to your

voices. and the students around the country. when it comes to gun safety legislation, you will not take no as an answer. [cheering] demand that we have gun safety because it is your future and america's future. that is what is at stake. [cheering] i am proud to be on your team. [cheering] along with my colleagues. and make it clear, we will demand comprehensive background checks for anyone to buy a gun. [cheering] assaultthe end of the type weapons in america. [cheering] any more gunsant in our schools. [cheering] your voices must be heard.

proud of the students from maryland letter here. we are proud of the students around the nation. we look forward to joining you on march, 24th, america will know in america must act. [cheering] >> to the students of this all of to the students -- all over america. we have a simple message to all of you. your power.ow you can change the direction of america. [cheering] you are not only the future of america, you are the conscious of america, and you are here to ask america to do the right thing. you are here to say that it is

forceptable in america students to be slaughtered in their schools. [cheering] it is wrong in america for people to go to concerts and end up in carnage. [cheering] america toeptable in see the daily toll of gun violence on streets throughout our country. [cheering] this morning on the floor of the senate, senator gunin i read the names of violence in maryland, including 17 young people, people under 20 who were victims in maryland just in the last year. people from all over our state, like people all over the country are crying out and saying, we are mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore. [cheering]

we have to get assault weapons off of our streets are we have to have universal gun background checks. the answer is not more guns in schools. teachers -- [cheering] teachers should be armed with knowledge, not with weapons. [cheering] just the other day over at the white house, when the cameras chief executive asked the question, who is afraid of the nra? that he was afraid of the nra. but are you afraid of the nra? >> no. >> we need to make sure that every member of congress, republicans, democrats, people of all political stripes are more afraid of the next school massacre. the they are more afraid of

next death on the streets in our country. more afraid of that than they are afraid of the nra. [cheering] movement,he student are what is going to make it happen. you're what is different this time to have one simple question. the nra and the gun lobby and the senate, they are counting on all of you to just go away after today. are you going to go away? >> no. >> are you going to be back here on march 24? >> yes. >> are you going to make sure we fight every week and every month and every year until we have safe america? let's go get them! [cheering]

>> i'm danny, i'm a senior in high school. i would like to thank everyone for coming out here. we are the change that congress is scared to see. [cheering] coming up after our next speaker, are representative jamie -- jamie raskin, representative eleanor holmes norton, representative ken deutsch and representative john lewis. [cheering] we are so privileged that our next speaker is lending us his voice today. ladies and gentlemen, award-winning poet joseph green. how is everybody doing today? [cheering] be here.red to my name is joseph green. i'm a poet, an activist, educator in the youth program cordon aider, -- coordinator.

i am not only that. i am a black man. i am a father. have been charged with the mission of creating space for young people in a city that has been plagued with gun violence for far too long. i see before me today a generation of youth this off and ready to take on the real issues of our time. is i know that each of you knowledgeable enough to understand that americans gun violence epidemic did not start in the suburbs, and it is not isolated to our school. you nor organizations like black lives matter and the black youth project and dozens of others have been fighting for gun violence in places where the outrage are not afforded the same acknowledgment of their humanity or levels of external support as we are privileged to have here today. [cheering]

if this movement does not come out of the suburbs, if it is not -- if it does not speak to domestic violence and toxic masculinity, if it sees to protect certain -- to serve some and not others, if it protects -- if it only succeeds in increasing the safety of those who already have advantages, then it will not work. [cheering] potential is only realized if we choose to embrace and support our intersections. together is the only way forward. [cheering] asked to do a poem here today. this poll and dedicated to my four-year-old son and everyone who has been fighting for black lives. [cheering] today, i am doused in guilt. and i don't know what to do with these hands.

they spoke and twitter have told me that my friends have joined together in digital solidarity to fight for our rights or for your life, so that this never happens again. frontline of almost righteous themselves, inspirational means and hashtags. happenedd, this has before. i wonder, if i listen to the recording of your murder, will i feel anything different? to me, your life is no more than a facebook update, a trending topic on twitter, #, i hope somebody is still praying for your mother. #insert your child's name here. #all black bodies look-alike until they are murdered. i am overwhelmed by the risings of a society too busy arguing about whether or not black lives are important enough to fight for, to actually fight for black lives. [cheering] but as i stand here ranting, i

realize, it is because i don't know what to do with these hands. that must hold and protect my son. they are not bulletproof. they are made of the same brown material that have seen so many i realized that somewhere, somebody is still crying for you. that somewhere, a black mother the clothing and burning our post-racial society. that somewhere, a black female is being followed in a macy's on suspicion of being black. that somewhere, hands up, please don't shoot, that somewhere, why did you shoot me, you told me to get my id. that somewhere, please don't shoot, it's only a -- [cheering] can'tomewhere, we still breathe. that somewhere, they are toasting the man who did this to you. and the clans are gathering, only this time, they will not be wearing hoods. they will be dressed in suits, cloaked by law, charging for the

doctoring. [cheering] that if you do not look like you belong here, you can be murdered. but if you look like you belong here, you can be murdered. i will not always be able to protect my son. i pray that by then, black children in fear, black women and violence, black clear and endangered, blackmail and focused, black bodies and deceased is no longer a synonym. [cheering] at night, when i take my off,year-old son's clothes i say hands up, henry. he thinks we are playing a game. i pray that when his time comes, he will know what to do with his hands. thank you. keep fighting. power to the people! [cheering]

>> my name is sam simpson. i work at the pride fund and gun violence. when the lgbt community gets behind an issue, we get things done. we stand behind you guys in this fight to pass an assault weapons ban and enact gun control for our schools in america. pulse was the worst mass shooting in u.s. history. i don't need to tell you that america had endured hundreds of mass shootings since. including sutherland springs, las vegas, and now parkland. this carnage has to stop. we need a comprehensive approach to address this public health crisis. that kills thousands of americans each year.

we gather here one month after the 17 students and teachers of marjory stoneman douglas -- douglas high school were gunned down, we -- it is important to discuss the issue of gun violence. all you have to do is look at the numbers to be astounded by how little congress is doing in comparison. republicans and congress continue to take campaign contributions and align themselves with the nra while telling their line. these are the same republicans that tell you there is nothing we can do to curb the toll of gun violence. thousands of people, that is the price you pay for an action. people012, over 77,000 were killed because of gun violence. number of gune related fatalities increases by at least 1000. you look at these numbers on a micro scale and it is even more heartbreaking. on average, 93 americans a day are killed by gun violence.

the nra thinks americans need military grade assault weapons and large capacity -- and large capacity magazines. weapons designed to kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time. american's gun homicide rate is 25 times more -- higher than the average of any of the developed country. leadinge supposed to be the rest of the world when it comes to quality of life? is this how you make america great? perhaps we need less uninformed tweets and more fax-based legislation. [cheering] despite overwhelming push back from educators and people with real tangible experience in ,lassrooms, president trump secretary devos, and the nra are working to arm teachers rather than address the actual issues causing gun violence. [cheering] learning,e places of not the war zones.

[cheering] to take our communities and safe spaces back, we have the opportunity to work with members of congress who stood here today. it is imperative that we recognize and applaud these leaders for standing up in the face of hate and taking action. your action off walking out today that anything is even happening. the entire country is listening. don't hold back. come november, make change happen. [cheering] >> my name is jennifer stein. i'm a volunteer with the maryland chapter of mom's action for gun sense in america. [cheering] but today, i'm here in my own capacity to speak to you as they can -- as a concerned mother of two high school students. >> [cheering]

i'm so honored to be here today with some of my heroes. do you know who i now count among my greatest heroes? who areents of america standing in unity. enough! [cheering] up the fight of a lifetime, demanding that your leaders put your safety, the public safety, ahead of the greedy gun manufacturers lobby. noble goal in and deed. i applaud you. [cheering] , don't we, that it is possible to have both the second amendment and common sense gun laws. such as universal background checks. they are not mutually exclusive. [cheering] this is called gun sense. some of our leaders have it. and too many of our leaders cannot.

-- do not. [cheering] i am a mother of two teens. you don't have to be a mother or even female to be a mom. being a mom is a state of mind. an instinct. mom's love and care of other children. all our nation's children and want to protect them from the evil in the world. that is called being a mom. you know what is evil? when our elected officials put the interest of gun manufacturers ahead of our public safety in the safety of our children. that is evil. [cheering] what can be done at the grassroots level? we don't have to accept the status quo and here are some new rules. one, register to vote. [cheering] in maryland, you can register when you are as young as 16 years old. my 16-year-old daughter got her learner's permit and registered at the dmv.

tell your classmates and friends to vote. go to turbo vote.org and register there. two, pledged to be a gun sense voter. this means once you are old enough to vote, you will go to the polls and cast your vote on a single issue. gun violence prevention. a longknow your vote studio, use it to fight for a safer future for you and your children. three, find out how much money your lawmakers have excepted from the nra. [cheering] if they take money from a gun lobby, is it any surprise when they vote just the way the nra wants them to vote on legislation? we must hold our elected officials accountable for their actions or their inactions when it comes to common sense gun

reform. and when you are old enough, run for office yourself as a gun sense candidate. [cheering] in the meantime, volunteer. either to work on a gun sense candidate's campaign, or with a gun violence prevention group. as an admittedly uncool mom of students, onel who participated in the walkout on february 21, and the other who i think is here somewhere today, i just want to thank brenna and montgomery county students for gun control for inviting me to come here to talk to you about gun violence prevention at the grassroots level. is -- you know by now it it is a mom's role to support you and give you advice and guidance. maybe you don't agree with everything we say. maybe you go ahead and do whatever you want anyway.

that is called being a teenager. but if gun violence prevention is your cause, your issue, i think i speak for all of the moms who are here when i say, we are here for you. [cheering] finally, i want to thank you all for being the true adults in the room. when it comes to the disgraceful epidemic of gun violence in this country. like the civil rights heroes of yesterday, history will judge you kindly. as for the adults, including the adults that work in this building, who failed to protect the gunsold you out to lobby, they will be judged harshly and with scorn. all back hereyou in d c a b for the march of our lives. [cheering] thank you.

>> guys, look at what you have done! [cheering] look at what you built! i don't want anyone to silence you after today. [cheering] don't let anyone water down your message. you fight for what is right, you fight for what you believe in. [cheering] because how many of you are going to be able to vote in 2018? [cheering] how many of you are going to vote in 2020? [cheering] we have listened to it some amazing speakers here today. but all of you are going to be the leaders of the future. [cheering] and while we have seen so many leaders show up that gun violence is their priority,

their too many who do nothing to keep you all safe. [cheering] here is the thing. we need you to vote, because we need to change it was in this building. [cheering] that is not enough. we need you to become the next generations of leaders. [cheering] to be your world. this is going to be your future. we need you -- we don't need do out here, we need you in there. [cheering] i think we should send a message to congress. i want everyone to repeat after me. can you hear our screams? >> can you hear our screams? >> can you hear us out? we will take it to the voting booth and vote you out.

let's get this done. [cheering] >> what is up everyone? i am a freshman. some people believe that stricter gun control would not do anything. after the port arthur shooting in australia, it took only three for laws thatths resulted in zero massacres. up in japan, which is the country that has the lowest violence rate of any country in history. you do have the right to own a gun in japan, and order to do that you have to take a shooting range test, pass a mental health pass a comprehensive background check.

there has never been a mass shooting in japan, ever. made laws toes protect their citizens and it works. we know we do not have to live like this. our children do not have to die like this. i see myself in those students from parkland. the scenes we see over and over again on tv running out of school with their hands on each other's shoulders. it could have been any of our schools and it still can be. why are our lives at stake? why do we have to worry about our friends, our teachers, our families. why do my parents have to wonder whether both their kids will make it home? why do i have to wonder about being wheeled out of my high school is somebody in a bag? [cheering]

country built on ideas that lead us forward. i am proud to be an american and i march not only because i love my country but because i will fight for my country. canll fight until our kids go to school and be able to come home unharmed. i will fight until gay people can go a nightclub and have a good time. i will fight until we are no longer afraid. the congressmen and women that are being paid by the nra to keep their mouth shut are stalling this country's progress. [cheering] >> when i was young i used to look up to the officials in our government, believing they would always do what was right for the american people. now they are the ones failing to create the laws they need and we are the ones paying the price.

i promise you this. if they fail to make gun control laws, then when they are voted out in a couple years, we will. [cheering] >> my name is jamie. [cheering] >> hello, maryland. hello washington. hello, virginia. we brought a chant from montgomery county i thought i would teach my colleagues. it goes like this. can't beatra, you the sga. can't beat, nra, you the sga. >> a lot of people are saying

what are you young people doing here in a school day? it is clear what you are doing. you are changing america. you are leading america. you are america. ist is your you are -- that who you are. you theder what gives right to do that, it is the amendment that comes before the second amendment, the first amendment. 1969upreme court said in that neither teachers nor students shed their first amendment rights at the schoolhouse. you have the right to speak, you're the right to protest, and you are doing it. you are doing it. limited if itonly

is going to create a disruption of the educational process. you know what is creating a disruption of the educational process? it is not the students, it is the nra and politicians who will not act to promote gun safety. safety,standing up for you are standing up for order, you are standing up for real education in america. you are here because you read mark twain, who said never let your schooling get in the way of your education. [cheering] are you going to forget the young people slaughtered in parkland? >> no. per -- aregoing to you going to forget the young people slaughtered at sandy hook? >> no. >> are you going to forget the

people slaughtered at columbine? at las vegas? at san bernardino county? the people being killed every day by handgun violence? are you going to let the nra run all over you? are you going to take back america? are we going to pass a ban on assault weapons? are we going to pass a universal background check? are you going to march on saturday, march 24? are we going to win that campaign? thank you for changing america. [cheering] >> hello. my name is christian crawford.

i am 17 years old. i just got into college and i'm looking forward to my future. however, i cannot do that without thinking about how quickly it can disappear. old.as 17 years she was 10 days away from starting college. she was looking forward to her future. the difference between me and her is that a stray bullet hit her in the head while she was driving one of her family members home. a stray bullet that was not meant for her. on a street she had driven down many times before. i found out at work during my closing shift. when i mentioned it to my coworker, he said that he understood, that he has had this happen to him before, that usually he needs to sit down when this type of thing happens to him.

no emotion. just the fact, just the reality. he is only a few years older than me. that replied to not seem real. i did not believe that this is how we console each other in a supposedly civilized country. we have become so numb to the issue of gun violence that we have a big population of young people who find it all routine to emphasize with their friends .eing murdered how many will it take? this is what we say to each other. how many will it take? like this is some science experiment we have to repeat over and over again to come to a conclusion. we have had enough evidence that there needs to be changed. we have had enough evidence for a while that there needs to

be change. we do not need further evidence. we do not need to debate this. we do not need to have more people die. we need change. [cheering] >> i'm entering a time in my life that she never got to see. i going to graduate high school soon, something those 17 kids from marjory stoneman douglas never got to see. at least i hope i get to see these milestones. i go to school each day and i think about what windows i will jump out of if my school is the next example. i think about how promising it is after i paid my matriculation fees but it is not. this is the mindset students around our countries are forced to experience because our lives do not outweigh money or votes.

states that ifom something is important to you, you will find a way, and if not you will find an excuse. that is why we will find a way when we are faced with many excuses. [cheering] saying it is because of videogames as if america is the only country that plays them. saying that gun control will not stop killing us, as if one person might be able to live there lives, as if one more graduating class my build a finish high school without a tragedy. we have voices to speak for those who cannot and will never be able to. some of us will be 18 by next inember, and we will vote honor of those who cannot and will never be able to. [cheering] >> we will not let money car tombstones.

never take your friends for granted because you never know when you might be seeing them for the last time. i am sorry that this is the wisdom i have to leave you with but this is a fact. this is our reality, but it does not have to be[. . [cheering] >> i would like introduced the representative from parkland. >> good afternoon, everyone. it is a little cold outside today. i want to tell you that the representative of marjory stoneman douglas and the community of parkland, what you are doing warms our hearts. the opportunity you have to lead , the inspiration you are taking from the student survivors of stoneman douglas and that the

country is taking from all of you is going to change america. i will make it plain. this place behind us, where i work, has not done the job. here's the truth. when it comes to leading the fight to require universal background checks, students will lead us. it comes to pushing forward until we ban high-capacity magazines, students will lead us. it is students who will lead us to keep weapons of war off our streets and it is students who will organize and register and theout to vote and turnover membership of this body so that the people who represent america

represent america in standing up for gun safety and keeping our kids safe. that is what you are going to do. [cheering] >> i want to thank you on behalf of my entire community for your leadership here and for not just this today and walkouts all around the country, but for what is coming in just another week and a half. i want to finish with a quote from marjory stoneman douglas. -- she said this. learn to talk clearly and forcefully in public, speak long at a not too time, without over emotion,

always with sound knowledge. be a nuisance when it counts but do not be a bore at any time. do your part to inform and stimulate the public to join depressed,, be discouraged and disappointed at failure and the disheartening effects of vagrants and greed and corruption in bad politics, but never give up. i will see you in 10 days at the march for our lives. [cheering] >> i'm a senior at american university. i got to know how bubbly and intelligent and caring he was

over this past summer. on february 14 you was killed at marjory stoneman douglas high school. afterwards i flew down to parkland to attend her funeral. the screams i heard of her family members there are some of the only ways that people are able to cope with this grief. i also want to share the words of edith have ron -- edith hebron, another marjory stoneman douglas student i know. that we were laughing, my friend. i did not know her life would come to an end. i heard a sound, gunshots. we live in parkland, how could this be. sometimes your thoughts are not what you see. all i could think of is how many will be left. ear, the bloodmy

will not disappear. i call for my friends. nothing else to do. they are gone, they are dead. feelings, no emotion, how can we comprehend this distortion? there is nothing else to say that will justify my english class this valentine's day. the epidemic of gun violence has plagued our nation for far too long. there have hook, been over a thousand mass shootings and over 33,000 people die every year due to gun violence. sisters, brothers and mothers, fathers, husbands, sons and neighbors. tomorrow it could be us. it is time that we say enough. enough to the nra blocking gun violence prevention measures we know will save lives. enough for the ban on the cdc researching gun violence. enough for letting the assault language.n

enough buying guns without background checks. enough is enough. faith we read the words of our ancestors. if i'm not for myself, who will be for me. if i am only for myself, one of my? -- what am i? if not now, when? we demand to be heard and we will not back down. gun violence is not only happen in school. it happens everywhere. arenow some communities more just fortunately impacted by gun violence than others. we are not for just standing up to gun violence within our schools, but in every community across america. we must do this now. every single day we failed to take action more innocent lives

are lost. it is a powerful truth to know a students that we are not the first students to organize a march against injustice. we are not the first young people to demand our country does more to protect us. we have great role models from previous generations who have sent us what it means to be student activist. we are not the student organizers of the 1960's, we do not face the same obstacles. if we are to be successful today and in the future, we must learn from them and emulate them. that is why i am proud to stay here today with representative don lewis. helpedage of 20, lewis lead the nashville city and. the chairmancame of the student nonviolent correlating committee. lewis helped plan the march on

washington and was severely beaten on the bridge in the march from selma to montgomery in what became known as bloody sunday last week -- 53 years ago last week. lewis, we will organize, demonstrate, and march. change has common this country when young people demand it. we will knock -- we will not back down until it comes. we will register voters just like they did during the freedom summer. we will march in the streets just like they did. , look them inup the eyes, and tell them that we will not back down. deserve to go safe in our schools and our communities and we will continue to follow in the footsteps of student activists from the years before us to make this a reality.

it is my distinct honor and thele privilege to welcome former student activist and representative from georgia, john lewis. [cheering] thank you so much for those kind words of introduction. i am delighted and happy to see each and every one of you here. you are a good-looking group. you are beautiful, you are handsome, and i know you are very smart. many years ago, when i had all of my hair and a few pounds met rosa parks in 1957 when i was 17. in 1958i met martin luther king r. i got involved.

since.not looked back when you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to stand up. thank you for doing something. you must never give up. never give out. never give in. keep the faith and keep your eyes on the prize. you're going to win. when you win we all win. we will have a great victory. you know the nra don't like me. i do not care. you know they gave me a grade of f. dime orot received one one penny from them. i do not want one dime or one penny.

[cheering] rep. lewis: we have lost too many of our mothers, too many of our fathers, to many of our brothers and sisters, too many of our fellow students. too many of our teachers. you are the leaders of the 21st century. i suggested each and everyone of you, read the literature of the civil rights movement. watch the films and the videos. whatever you do, do it in an orderly, peaceful, nonviolent fashion. you are going to have the victory. it will be a victory for all of america. it will be a victory for our world. we must leave this piece of real america a little

greener, a little cleaner, and a little more peaceful for generations yet unborn. [cheering] rep. lewis: during the 60's i got arrested a few times -- 40 times. and since i've been in congress, five more times. i am probably going to get arrested again for something. some of you may recall reading that a group of us members of congress on the house side had a sit in, a sit down in the well of the house for 26 hours trying to get the speaker and the leadership to bring forth a bill to deal with gun violence. we may have to sit in again. [cheering] rep. lewis: i will be there.

i will be with you all of the way. hang in there. never give up. never give in. keep the faith. keep your eyes on the prize and you will have a great victory. thank you very much. now, it is my great pressure to one of the leaders of montgomery county student for control.or gun welcome. thank you to everyone for coming to join us today. we have heard powerful words from students and members of congress joining together in the fight to end gun violence. i am inspired by all of you. when we started montgomery county students for gun control,

we wanted to give students a voice in this fight. today we have proof that we are here. we have a voice and we will not be silenced it. stake.es are at it is too important to back down. this may be the end of our demonstration, but we're not done with this fight. the only way we will succeed is through unrelenting advocacy. together, this is possible. remember, if you can speak, speak. if you can march, march. when you can vote, vote. thank you, everyone. .ave an amazing day i will see you march 24.

[cheering]

>> next saturday, students from around the country are taking part in the march for our lives rally, calling on lawmakers to take action against gun violence. have live coverage from washington, d.c., starting at noon eastern on c-span. "q&a." an c-span colorado college professor talks about his book, "imagining a great republic -- political novels and the idea of america." ofi think the reading american political classics is no billing and empowering in

terms of this country stands for and the greatial writers like harper reed are eeminding -- like harper le are saying our tribe wants to be something special, not just a city on a hill but a city that cares and works with one another and understands that politics is indispensable to learning about progress for as much people as possible. "q&a" sunday night at 8:00 eastern on c-span. some of thek at recent changes to president trump's national security team. this is 30 minutes. host: joining us is gary schmitt, the former executive director of the white house for