WASHINGTON 鈥� In scenes reminiscent of the聽Free Speech and Civil Rights Movements of the 1960s, thousands across the nation rallied in the March for Our Lives protest to advocate for gun control on聽Saturday, March 25.聽The nation’s capital was the locus of much of the protestor’s energy with聽more than 800 sibling events simultaneously organized throughout the country. The protests were spurred by fury over shootings that have occurred at schools and deadly police encounters, which have received escalating awareness over the past decade 鈥� and have changed school security and design as we know it.

Survivors of the recent聽shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in聽Parkland, Fla., that resulted in the deaths of 17 students and staffers in Florida, spearheaded the march, which was preceded by the mass National Student Walkout the prior week.

Parkland survivor 18-year-old Emma Gonz谩lez, who has emerged as聽one of the many impassioned聽voices聽of the movement.

“Every single person up here today, all these people should be home grieving. But instead, we are up here standing together because if all our government and President can do is send thoughts and prayers, then it鈥檚 time for victims to be the change that we need to see,” Gonz谩lez decried in what many observed was聽a historic聽speech.

After naming the victims of the Parkland massacre, Gonz谩lez held a prolonged moment of silence as onlookers chanted “Never again!”聽Tears streamed down her face. Suffice it to say, her silence spoke volumes. Some participants began to worry that Gonz谩lez would not be able to continue 鈥� an organizer even gently approached her to聽check in. Then a timer beeped and Gonz谩lez spoke again: “Since the time that I came out here, it has been six minutes and 20 seconds. The shooter has ceased shooting and will soon abandon his rifle,” she said, recounting the events of the shooting. Many in the media remarked upon the power of Gonz谩lez’ speech.

. holding this silence is one of the most remarkable political moments I’ve seen.

鈥� Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard)

According to the Washington Post, protestors began rallying聽聽at noon, coalescing into a legion of about half a million people by some estimates. Closer聽to the offices of聽School聽Construction News, an estimated 2,000 people filled the Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa, Calif.,聽sporting signs that said 鈥淧rotect Kids, Not the NRA,鈥� 鈥淏ooks, Not bullets鈥� and 鈥淕ive Teachers Raises, Not Guns,” according to the .

In contrast, the National Rifle Association (NRA), which has been under scrutiny for its pro-gun lobbying efforts, countered on its Facebook page that “Today’s protests aren鈥檛 spontaneous. Gun-hating billionaires and Hollywood elites are manipulating and exploiting children as part of their plan to DESTROY the Second Amendment and strip us of our right to defend ourselves and our loved ones.”

The official March for Our Lives website, however, states that the movement supports the Second Amendment:

“We support the right of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms, as set forth in the United States Constitution. But with that right comes responsibility,” the site reads. “We call on all the adults in Congress elected to represent us, to pass legislation that will protect and save children from gun violence.”

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