On a crowded Pennsylvania Avenue, there were faces from all over the country and world demanding to make difference.
Among the hundreds of thousands at "March for Our Lives" in Washington D.C. Saturday afternoon, there was a student from Chicago, a family from Italy, and friends from southern Maryland who live 10 minutes from where the last school shooting happened.
It was only days ago at Great Mills High School when two teenagers were shot by a former students. The alleged gunman and one teenager died.
"Kids should feel safe when they go to school," said Olivia Smith who lives miles from where the shooting happened. "This isn't necessairly something that means we need to beef up security, per se, but make sure kids don't have access to this kind of stuff."
Rally-goers discussed the need for gun reform, mental health solutions, and safer schools.
"I personally don't feel like there is any reason that people need assault rifles," said Linda Pixley of Iowa.
The march was a creation out of tradegy.
U.S. & World
Students from Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Fl organized the event after 17 people were shot and killed in their school a month ago.
More than 800 rallies were scheduled in countries across the world including Lithuania and Ghana.
"I think the legislators will pay attention to what happens here in Washington," said Dick Driscoll of Westford. "The others are going to be supportive, but the one that's going to send the message is the one from Washington."
The group "Educators Against Gun Violence" was created on Facebook after the massacre.
It consists of more than 3,000 teachers from across the country.
Some of those teachers met in-person for the first time Saturday in Washington.
"As a teacher it just means the world to me that I'm here to stand by (the student's) side and to let them know that the adults are going to listen," said Elsa Wheat from Rochester, NY. "We are going to fix it and this time it's different."
One of the youngest demonstrators in the crowd was 9-year-old Max Ruppenkamp.
"My mom came up with this sign," said Max. "I will remember. I will vote in 2026."
On the pereferial of the march, volunteers held clipboards as they helped people volunteer to vote.
Organizers are warning politicans if they don't prioritize their issues, they will vote them out in the upcoming elections.
"Yes, it's gun reform and, yes, it's school safety and, yes, it's mental health," said Kendra Walsh of Parkland, Fl. "It's not one issue, but this is a big one."
Twenty-five years ago, long before the students from Parkland were born, it was Greg Gibson who was living the unimaginable.
His son Galen was shot and killed at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington.
"This is a cultural change," said Gibson. "Not just a legal change, not just a philosophical, or moral change it's a generational change."
