Exactly one month after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida that left 17 people dead, Boston University students gathered in Marsh Plaza on Wednesday as part of a national school walkout to advocate for gun law reform.
Nearly 100 students and several faculty members huddled in a circle chanting, “Enough is enough,” led by organizer Shawna James, a junior in the College of Fine Arts.
In her opening statement to the crowd, James said mass shootings are a public health crisis in the United States. She said BU students should stand firmly in support of universal background checks for buying weapons, restrictions on high capacity magazines and a ban on assault weapons.
James wrote in a message to The Daily Free Press that the BU walkout was motivated by the walkout call from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students. The walkout was intended to honor those who lost their lives in the Parkland shooting.
“We are also rallying to call for change around gun laws,” James wrote. “We are demanding that our representatives hear our urgent call to support the gun reform movement.”
Logan Rubio, a junior in the College of Engineering, said she decided to participate in the walkout to support fellow students and to advocate for what she believes is right.
“I see students across the country coming together, standing together and demanding that their voices are heard,” Rubio said. “As a student at Boston University, I’ll always stand with my fellow students for what’s right. This is definitely what I believe we need — some gun reform and some action from Congress.”
Wednesday’s school walkouts were held in partnership with March for Our Lives, a national movement and upcoming demonstration scheduled to take place on March 24 in Washington, D.C. and throughout the United States. James worked with March for Our Lives Boston to facilitate BU’s walkout.
Gun reform supporters also marched to the Massachusetts State House on Wednesday to talk to representatives about their concerns regarding gun control and to learn more about the process on a policy level, said Rachel Schlueter, a co-organizer of BU’s walkout.
“This BU walkout is centered around holding space for those of us who might not be able to get to the State House who want to gather and show solidarity for high school students walking out for the March for our Lives movement,” James wrote.
James said the movement should be intersectional. She said that public health crises, such as gun violence, are often left unaddressed when marginalized communities are the ones affected. She cited gun violence in Boston toward people of color as an example.
“When white kids are in danger or hurt, the world pays attention,” James wrote. “Massachusetts continues to ignore its most vulnerable communities.”
Kate Anfossi, a junior in ENG, said being an international student from Bermuda has given her a unique perspective on gun violence in the United States.
“I grew up in a place without guns, and we’ve never had any sort of shooting,” Anfossi said, “so it’s sort of firsthand proof that if you can have strict gun reform, things like [the Parkland shooting] will not happen. I think Congress and [the Trump] administration really need to pay attention to that.”
Marco de Laforcade, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, stepped forward at the rally to share a story from his junior year of high school about when a boy in his class posted threatening messages on social media demanding that everyone wear red to school the next day if they wanted to stay alive.
“Luckily, it was just a threat, but the fear was real,” de Laforcade said. “This experience still traumatizes me, but it doesn’t even stand close to what survivors’ and victims’ families go through. Students should not fear their own lives when they go to school.”
Schlueter said she thinks a walkout is a particularly impactful way to voice one’s beliefs.
“It’s not just a rally in which everyone coordinates with each other’s schedule,” Schlueter said. “It is an intentional disruption of everyone’s day. That’s what turns heads and makes people listen. Having your voice heard is what tips the scale.”
James concluded the rally by echoing her expectations from government.
“We are committed to exposing and stopping channels of gun purchase from our neighboring states and helping provide communities with infrastructural support to reduce instances of violence and the impact of associated trauma,” James said.
Anfossi said that following through with these commitments is key to ensuring a safer future.
“Making sure you’re registered to vote and are voting and paying attention to what’s happening and not just when something horrific like this happens [is important],” Anfossi said.
Anfossi stressed the fact that social movements must be consistent to accomplish their goals.
“People should always stay on top of it, because in these situations, it seems to only be on people’s minds when something really bad happens,” Anfossi said, “but it should be something people pay attention to until something changes.”
