Activists take part in SC March on NRA

Activists take part in SC march on NRA
Updated: Aug. 4, 2018 at 10:08 PM EDT
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(WIS) - Students, activists, and politicians came out to The South Carolina March on the NRA at the State House Saturday afternoon.

This is part of a national movement where survivors of the deadly shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School joined hundreds of protesters in a march in Virginia Saturday to protest the National Rifle Association.

The national march took place at the association's headquarters.

Protesters called for the NRA's tax exempt status to be revoked and to stop access to downloadable blue prints for 3D printed guns.

Students came out to the South Carolina State House to honor and remember victims of gun violence, as well as voice their concerns in hopes lawmakers will hear their message.

Scott Moore, a South Carolina high school student said "There's a fear in the back of our mind that there always might be a shooting and it's shown not only from me but from other students like when a book drops in the hallway or something falls we immediately think something's happening."

Some of the changes activists want to see are universal; comprehensive background checks for all gun sales, and a ban on high-capacity magazines and assault weapons.

Julie Edwards, with Indivisible Midlands said "I want to see less influence on our politics from the NRA, I want to see politicians that don't take their money and actually listen to their constituents, to the students the educators, the parents and the community that's saying we want safer schools we want safer communities."

WIS heard both sides at the rally.

Keith Ward, visiting Columbia from Charleston said "They have their jobs they have their rules, they have their focus they want Americans to have guns and have the right to carry arms so that's their role and they should be allowed to have that role."

Ward also believes anyone that buys a gun should be "appropriately vetted" as well as "psychologically tested."

A family who moved to Irmo from Iceland came out to the rally.

The family says they are terrified sending their kids to school in America.

"In Iceland you never have to think that someone would take a gun into the school or walk to the street with a gun," Hulda Einarsdottir, who Moved to Irmo from Iceland said. "I'm always thinking about it what if someone is going to bring a gun to a school it's ridiculous that people and parents need to think like that."

Activists at the State House took part in a "Die-In" where they laid on the lawn of the State House for seven minutes.

According to Indivisible Midlands, everyday there are 86 people that lose their lives to gun violence and 7 of those are children and teens.

To honor the seven children and teens that statistically will lose their lives, activists laid on the ground in silence for seven minutes total- one minute for each.

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