It’s a day for the history books. Turnout for Saturday’s “March For Our Lives” is said to have been higher than expected and it’s clear the message won’t soon be forgotten.
Officials tell @NBCNews that they are estimating 800,000 people gathered in Washington, DC today for the #marchforourlives rally.
— Rebecca Shabad (@RebeccaShabad) March 24, 2018
Add those numbers to the 800+ other marches around the country and estimates are that the numbers of people marching around the world were well into the millions.
March for Our Lives draws bigger crowd than Trump inauguration, organizers say https://t.co/stzdymaRGg pic.twitter.com/ZFL4g0byqL
— The Hill (@thehill) March 24, 2018
While there is no tweet from Donald Trump today about the march, his predecessor and former challenger offered these words.
Michelle and I are so inspired by all the young people who made today’s marches happen. Keep at it. You’re leading us forward. Nothing can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for change.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 24, 2018
Listening to the students from Parkland and across the country today is a reminder of what is possible when our future is in the right hands, and when we match inspiration with determination. https://t.co/fhiEBIw15B
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 24, 2018
One of the most powerful moments at the Washington D.C. march came as Parkland survivor Emma Gonzalez took the stage. As Time magazine reports, “González, one of the leaders of the #NeverAgain movement, spoke for less than two minutes and then suddenly fell silent, marking the length of time it took for a gunman to kill 17 people in a rampage at her high school last month.”
Why Emma González stood silent for more than 4 minutes at the March for Our Lives https://t.co/tiM2Yf8Xlg
— TIME (@TIME) March 24, 2018
Martin Luther King Jr.’s granddaughter also spoke.
"Spread the word!"
"Have you heard?!"
"We… Are going to be… A great generation!"MLK's granddaughter leads cheer at #MarchForOurLives. https://t.co/9chFUZoG4x pic.twitter.com/iO6oeJFmqo
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 24, 2018
Here are some of the other memorable moments:
"We love you. Don't give up." Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt perform "Found/Tonight" at #MarchForOurLives in Washington, DC. pic.twitter.com/JLYnACHb5S
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) March 24, 2018
"We cannot make America safe until we arm our teachers. … with pencils, paper and the money they need. … to support the future that sits down at that desk waiting to learn." – Parkland survivor Ryan Deitsch speaks at the March for Our Lives rally in DC https://t.co/uxnPJ5MuET pic.twitter.com/aYEJFbnYVf
— CNN (@CNN) March 24, 2018
"One of my best friends was killed in gun violence right around here, so it's important to me," says Paul McCartney, remembering his Beatles bandmate John Lennon at the March for Our Lives in New York City https://t.co/u4aBKWC1Jb pic.twitter.com/8Jnjn8A3xH
— CNN (@CNN) March 24, 2018
Watch more of the highlights above.
