‘No Guns at Recess’ - Students rally in Lansing at Michigan Capitol Building

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - School shootings have a lot of students in the United States demanding action from legislators. Most students will be back in the classroom soon and they are worried about how they will be protected against gun violence.

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March for Our Lives organizers and other protesters laid down on the ground Friday at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. It was an act done in memory of the victims of school shootings. Signs reading “No Guns at Recess” were held by students who want legislators to pass laws that will make schools safe from gun violence.

“Because when school shootings happen, the bullets cannot tell the difference between blue and red. The lives that are lost are lost regardless and politicians from all sides should recognize that. We urge you to save our lives because the power is in your hands,” said Brelian Karimian, organizer at March for Our Lives.

“No Guns at Recess” included demonstrations to help show the impact gun violence has in schools across the United States.

“We also had a toy display that was supposed to represent children’s innocence and then the revealing of the body bag that shows the death of many people due to gun violence,” said Karimian.

Event organizers said they are not asking to take away gun rights from responsible owners - they want laws that will keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Gun-rights groups said those wrong hands could still pass a background check by showing no prior disqualifiers.

“Gun control is basically a failed policy of the past. Pandora’s box is open, guns exist, they’re out there, and only the law-abiding obey the gun control laws. The dangerous people don’t,” said Steve Dulan of the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners and the National Rifle Association.

Democrats in the state House and Senate have introduced several new gun bills this year. Republicans, who control the legislature, blocked those bills from coming up for a vote. As of now - it is unlikely the legislature will pass any new gun-control laws.

“Well our work isn’t done. Clearly we’re not being heard loud enough. It’s really unfortunate that we have to keep being here every few month,” said Karimian.

The CDC found that, in 2020 - males, minors, and young adults had the highest rate of death by guns. It was the deadliest year for gun violence in the United States; there were 45,000 deaths.

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