March for Our Lives rallies popped up all across small towns
This weekend, hundreds of thousands of people came together during the March for Our Lives rallies, which pushed for comprehensive gun reform. You’ll see a lot of pictures taken of the staggering crowds throughout big cities across the country (seriously, it’s incredible), but the snapshots of small-town rallies will completely capture your heart.
From Laramie, Wyoming to Ashland, Ohio, citizens took to the streets and made their voices heard — even when it wasn’t the most popular move to do so.
After the rallies started wrapping up, Buzzfeed culture writer Anne Helen Petersen took to Twitter and asked for photos of marches that hadn’t made it onto television.
“Did you attend a march that didn’t get much attention from the national media?” she wrote. “I’d love to see a picture or hear about it.”
Did you attend a march that didn't get much attention from the national media? I'd love to see a picture or hear about it.
— Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) March 25, 2018
Well, ask and you shall receive. Petersen was flooded with pictures that ranged from one person rallies to a bustling 2,000. Also, have to give a massive shout-out to the people of Idaho, who marched through what looked like some very chilly snow and rain.
March for Our Lives in Victor, Idaho, population 1928: https://t.co/8thN5RAY8z pic.twitter.com/L2GBYreYxk
— Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) March 24, 2018
300+ at the March for Our Lives in Sandpoint, Idaho, population 7984: https://t.co/pChHGtGM6n pic.twitter.com/URxk3dSGO4
— Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) March 24, 2018
Annnnd the people of Brunswick, Maine for marching through 4 inches of snow.
~1000 in Brunswick, Maine, standing on 4 inches of snow. pic.twitter.com/Am96rJoGkW
— Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) March 25, 2018
Then there were the 100 people who showed up to a march in Great Falls, New Jersey — even though the rally hadn’t even been planned until earlier that week.
We had at least 100 people in Great Falla today - for a march that wasn’t even planned until Tuesday night. pic.twitter.com/5Z5A3iuWl5
— Tiffany Aldinger (@TiffanyAldinger) March 25, 2018
In some towns and small cities, the featured speakers were local high school students, which is just about the best thing I’ve heard all day.
Wilmington, NC — more than 3,000 attended, last I read. Speakers were local high school students, and they were phenomenal. pic.twitter.com/7D7pOvJmwA
— Ashley Bissette Sumerel (@ashleybsumerel) March 25, 2018
Bend, Oregon! Official count: 4000. Speakers were high school students from around the region. Very organized, very inspiring! pic.twitter.com/AyOLY1InRs
— Bridget (@BridgetBeagle) March 25, 2018
Most heartening, perhaps, was the turn-out in extremely conservative areas, including Wyoming which is known as one of the most heavily-armed states in America. Oh yeah, and also Potsdam, New York, where one Twitter user said confederate flags are abundant. Then there was a turn-out of 30,000 in Lewiston, Idaho, where protest is a big no-no and kids regularly uses rifles for hunting.
Is your heart starting to lift? Just a little bit?
Here's some pics sent to me via DM of the march in Norfolk, Virginia — which drew between 4000-5000 people. pic.twitter.com/oSkRjEmmIr
— Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) March 25, 2018
About 300 people took to the streets of little old Potsdam, NY, a super red town, where I’ve seen more confederate flags than I did in the seven years I lived in Texas. pic.twitter.com/8LSBjCwKKp
— Ashley E. Reis (@Ashley_E_Reis) March 25, 2018
If you’re not from the Inland Northwest, hard to explain how remarkable it is to see a March for Our Lives in Lewiston, Idaho. 30,000 people. Protest is deeply frowned upon. Kids brought stashed their rifles in their trucks after hunting before school. And yet: pic.twitter.com/sxwSCEbdKe
— Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) March 24, 2018
And here we have Laramie, Wyoming — a state with the most guns per capita, a march organized by a high school student who's a competitive shooter: https://t.co/YeXYAwWEsv pic.twitter.com/UmpvsakYkz
— Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) March 25, 2018
From the DMs:
— Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) March 25, 2018
"We had a couple hundred in Ashland, Ohio today. That doesn’t sound like much but this a very conservative town, in a deep red county in a red state where people love their guns." pic.twitter.com/1Vu4tWnemF
Teenagers and adults took to the streets of New Orleans, a city that should get more coverage than it does when it comes to movements like this.
From New Orleans, which often gets ignored when it comes to this sort of coverage: pic.twitter.com/hRNel07xZi
— Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) March 25, 2018
Now, let’s all give a big, BIG round of applause to this young woman, who held her own one person rally, while the rest of her classmates took pictures for prom.
While the rest of Bainbridge, GA was taking pictures for prom, my 15 year old sister @rosie_rentz was the ONLY person to march. pic.twitter.com/fKcC6q25wp
— Aleyna Rentz (@aleyna_rentz) March 25, 2018
Here’s to feeling so much hope after these rallies and a big thanks to marchers who participated.
