Educators Nationwide Organize Hundreds of Gun Safety Events as Part of March for Our Lives Day of Action

WASHINGTON—Teachers and school staff joined parents, students, community members and allies around the country today for marches and rallies demanding an end to gun violence, in partnership with March for Our Lives. Led by nearly 150 different American Federation of Teachers affiliates across 16 different states, thousands of educators came together to support many of the nearly 500 March for Our Lives events.

Earlier this month, the AFT’s executive council voted unanimously to support this year’s march and day of action, and to mobilize educators to stand shoulder to shoulder with their students in the fight to protect our communities from gun violence.

Teachers, including many who have survived gun violence, marched today all across California, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, D.C., and beyond. A full list of AFT-led actions can be found here. Today’s efforts are part of the union’s ongoing work on gun violence prevention and the launch of its recent “Enough Is Enough” campaign to demand immediate, meaningful progress on commonsense gun safety.

AFT President Randi Weingarten said:

“Educators are standing shoulder to shoulder with students, with parents, and with every American fighting for commonsense gun safety. We need action now—before the next mass shooting and the 100-plus gun deaths that happen every day in America. Not one more student, not one more educator, not one more community should be ravaged by the horror of gun violence. As the people on the frontlines of school-based violence, students, educators, school staff and parents will keep marching, and keep fighting together until we end rampant gun violence.”