When a gunman killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida six months ago, students across the country rallied for change. Thousands marched in protest of gun violence, demanding leaders in Washington enact comprehensive gun control measures. But the day after, students in Wisconsin decided to keep going — walking for four days and 50 miles, from the state capital of Madison, to Janesville, the hometown of House Speaker Paul Ryan. The organizers said they were inspired by the 54-mile Civil Rights March from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Now, their group, 50 Miles More, is aiming to hold marches in all 50 states, starting right here in Massachusetts. The march will start in Worcester and end 50 miles away, at the Springfield headquarters of gun manufacturer Smith and Wesson.
Adam Reilly, in for Jim Braude, was joined by two of the organizers of the march, Vikiana Petit-Homme, a rising senior at Boston Latin Academy and the director of March For Our Lives Boston, and Jack Torres, a rising junior at Somerville High School.
