One of The Most Gripping Moments From the Gun Rallies

Emma Gonzalez stood in silent protest for as long as it took Parkland shooter to gun down 17
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 25, 2018 2:45 PM CDT
One of the Most Gripping Moments from The Gun Rallies
Emma Gonzalez stands silently at the podium and times the amount of time it took the Parkland shooter to go on his killing spree   (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Emma Gonzalez stood silent in front of thousands gathered for the "March for Our Lives" rally in Washington, DC, on Saturday. "Chin high and tears streaming," as the AP describes her, her entire gripping moment stretched for 6 minutes and 20 seconds, the amount of time Gonzalez said it took a shooter to kill 17 people and wound 15 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last month. Gonzalez listed the names of those killed on Feb. 14, and then she stopped, her breath heaving but remaining composed. Seemingly unsure what to do, the crowd waited. The silence spread to the thousands thronging Pennsylvania Avenue. The beeping of a digital alarm broke the silence. More on her moment and others:

  • After the alarm sounded: "Since the time that I came out here, it has been six minutes and 20 seconds. The shooter has ceased shooting and will soon abandon his rifle, blend in with the students as they escape and walk free for an hour before arrest," Gonzalez said, voice clear. "Fight for your lives before it's someone else's job."

  • Huge turnout: Per CBS News, some 200,000 people marched on Washington Saturday, one of an estimated 800 marches held nationwide.
  • Counter protests: NPR notes a "March for Our Guns" that took place in Helena, Mont., as well as similar presences in Idaho, Utah, and elsewhere.
  • Wrong message?: Former GOP Senator from Penn. Rick Santorum suggests student protesters would be better served by taking CPR classes instead of "looking to someone else to solve their problem" on CNN Sunday.
  • Young protesters: Tucker Carlson said kids like Emma Gonzalez are "extremists" who should steer clear of the debate, per RealClearPolitics.
  • Voices unheard: Washington speaker Naomi Wadler, 11, addressed the crowd as representative for "African-American girls whose stories don't make the front page," per NBC Washington.
(More Florida school shooting stories.)

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