Tens Of Thousands March For Lives In Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Tens of thousands of people marched in downtown Los Angeles Saturday in solidarity with the Florida high school mass shooting survivors to advocate for stronger gun control laws. Marchers of all ages crowded into the area around City Hall carrying banners and signs, some of which said "Protect Kids Not Guns" and "Arms Are For Hugging."

Police officers on the scene put the early crowd estimate at least 40,000 and growing. Organizers said they anticipate as many as 200,000 people.

The march is one of hundreds taking place around the world in support of the main March for Our Lives event in Washington, D.C. Other marches are also taking part around Los Angeles County, including in Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica, Burbank, Pico Rivera, Long Beach and Santa Clarita.

A 12-year-old Isabelle, who came downtown with her pregnant mother and her sister, stood in the street holding a hand-drawn sign reading "Am I Next?" Isabelle told City News Service she wants to go to her school in Woodland Hills and "not be scared."

A smaller group of gun rights advocates stood behind seven Los Angeles Police Department officers in front of LAPD Headquarters at the corner of Spring Street and First Avenue with signs defending the Second Amendment and a "Don't Tread On Me" flag. Others held posters festooned with images of guns sprinkled with glitter and labeled Trump .45.

The downtown march began east of Pershing Square around 10 a.m. and is scheduled to end with a rally in front of City Hall. Mayor Eric Garcetti and comedian Amy Schumer are among the scheduled speakers.

The March For Our Lives in Washington, D.C., and its affiliated marches around the world that now number more than 840, were organized or inspired by some student survivors of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. that left 17 people dead on Feb. 14. The carnage was allegedly carried out by a 19-year-old former student who had legally purchased an assault rifle.

Since it was announced, the Washington march and its sister marches have received a significant amount of financial support from celebrities, including actor George Clooney and director Steven Spielberg.

"Amal (Clooney's wife) and I are so inspired by the courage and eloquence of these young men and women from Stoneman Douglas High School," Clooney said in February. "Our family will be there on March 24 to stand side by side with this incredible generation of young people from all over the country, and in the name of our children Ella and Alexander, we're donating $500,000 to help pay for this groundbreaking event. Our children's lives depend on it."

Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, later matched that donation, pledging another $500,000. Jeffrey Katzenberg, the former Walt Disney Co. and DreamWorks Animation chief, also announced a $500,000 donation in conjunction with his wife, Marilyn. Oprah Winfrey also offered up $500,000.

"These inspiring young people remind me of the Freedom Riders of the 60s who also said we've had enough and our voices will be heard," Winfrey wrote on her Twitter page.

--City News Service

Photo: Young activists chant before marching during the March for Our Lives rally on March 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. More than 800 March for Our Lives events, organized by survivors of the Parkland, Florida school shooting on February 14 that left 17 dead, are taking place around the world to call for legislative action to address school safety and gun violence. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)