February 18, 2018

Florida teen shooting survivors announce 'March for Our Lives' demonstration in Washington

WATCH: Florida students announce march on Washington as call to action for gun control

Teen survivors of the school shooting massacre in Florida last week are calling for a march on Washington to demand action on gun control.

Student organizers of the protest told ABC News' "This Week" Co-Anchor Martha Raddatz on Sunday that they are determined to use protests and political action to make the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Florida, a turning point in the national debate over gun control.

“People keep asking us, 'What about the Stoneman Douglas shooting is going to be different, because this has happened before and change hasn't come?'” Cameron Kasky, an 11th-grader told Raddatz. “This is it.”

“People are saying that it’s not time to talk about gun control. And we can respect that,” Kasky added. “Here’s a time. March 24th in every single city. We are going to be marching together as students begging for our lives.”

Called "March for Our Lives," the demonstration should transcend politics, according to Kasky and four of his classmates whom Raddatz also interviewed -- Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Alex Wind and Jaclyn Corin.

"This isn't about the GOP," Kasky said. "This isn't about the Democrats. This is about the adults. We feel neglected and at this point, you're either with us or against us."

Dorothy Edwards/Naples Daily News via USA Today Network
South Broward High School sophomore Genesis Campbell leads her classmates in protest in front of their school, Feb. 16, 2018, in response to a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

“Any politician on either side who is taking money from the NRA is responsible for events like this,” the high school junior said of the shooting on Feb. 14 that killed 17 students and teachers at the school. “At the end of the day, the NRA is fostering and promoting this gun culture.”

Kasky said the point is to "create a new normal where there's a badge of shame on any politician who's accepting money from the NRA.”

Gonzalez added that the student activists from Parkland want to have conversations about guns with President Donald Trump, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Gov. Rick Scott, also a Republican.

“We want to give them the opportunity to be on the right side of this,” she said.

WPBF
Emma Gonzalez, a teen survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting rallied a passionate crowd with calls for gun control in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Feb. 17, 2018.
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Raddatz asked Gonzalez what she would say to other students around the country to encourage them to join the protest.

The high school senior said, "The kids who need to take part in this are kids, everyday kids just like us. They are students who need to understand that this can very quickly happen to them ... They need to join us, and they need to help us get our message across. All students should realize that a school shooting could happen anywhere."

Jonathan Drake/Reuters
David Hogg, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, speaks at a rally calling for more gun control three days after the shooting at his school, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Feb. 17, 2018.