New Location Announced For Princeton March For Our Lives Event

PRINCETON, NJ — The March For Our Lives event in Princeton scheduled for Saturday has a new location, according to event spokeswoman Reba Holley. The event will now take place at Hinds Plaza, adjacent to the Princeton Public Library, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. It had been scheduled to take place at Palmer Square, but the location was changed due to the weather.

The march will be held in solidarity with the national March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. in response to the high school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida that killed 17 people, including a former New Jersey girl.

The non-partisan march is calling for a gun control bill targeted at ending school shootings, the national march's website states. Marches are planned for most major cities, similarly to how the Women's March was set up, and is spearheaded by five Florida students survived the shooting.

Over 1,000 people are expected to join the Princeton march, according to Holley. Assemblyman Roy Frieman (D-16) will be among the marchers, and will be joined by local activists and students from both Princeton High School and Princeton University.

There will be a number of speakers, including a survivor from Everytown For Gun Safety, a Princeton University student, and Coalition for Peace Action Executive Director Rev. Bob Moore. There will also be musical performances by Princeton High School students interspersed throughout the speeches.

The event is organized by Princeton High School senior Dziyana Zubjalevich, who has dedicated all her time to putting the event together, Halley said. Over 3,000 students at Princeton High School participated in the national walkout day event on March 14.

Halley founded the Mercer County Chapter of Moms Demand Action two years ago, and it is now the largest in the state, with over 2,000 members. About 250 members are regularly active, and Halley has seen an increase the number of people attending meetings since the Parkland shootings. She said there have been twice as many attendees at recent meetings than usual.

Moms Demand Action is supporting the marches nationwide. Indivisible and Stand CNJ are also supporting and sending large contingents to the march, Halley said.

"School safety is not a political issue. There cannot be two sides to doing everything in our power to ensure the lives and futures of children who are at risk of dying when they should be learning, playing, and growing," the website states. "The mission and focus of March For Our Lives is to demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues."

Photo: Parkland, Florida - Feb. 17: Juliana Cruz joins with others as they protest against guns on February 17, 2018 in Parkland, Florida. Earlier this week former student Nikolas Cruz opened fire with a AR-15 rifle at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School killing 17 people. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)