A day of initiative and advocacy against gun violence in Chicago
Approximately 1,000 people gathered in the Loop Saturday to rally against gun violence, joining hundreds of other March for Our Lives demonstrations across the country to protest the nation’s gun laws after the recent flurry of mass shootings.
Earlier in the day, another gun violence prevention initiative was taking place on the South Side, where people lined up to turn in guns for a cash reward, no questions asked, in an effort by the Chicago Police Department to get those weapons off the streets.
At the rally, the crowd loosely gathered on the gray tiles of Federal Plaza, chanting and holding signs and listening to speakers. Near the edges of the plaza were booths with March for Our lives merchandise, more information on gun violence prevention and advocacy and a table for water and snacks.
Amy Treadwell came to the rally from the southern suburbs with her daughters Zoe Treadwell, 21 and Noelle Treadwell, 15, to support March for Our Lives and its message. Saturday was their first time participating in a March for Our Lives demonstration, and Zoe, who is going to be a senior in college this fall, said the school shooting in a Uvalde, Texas “was a big catalyst” for her to pay more attention and devote more of her time and energy to gun violence prevention.
Noelle, who is a sophomore in high school, said protesting is a way for the youth who are still not of voting age to have their voices heard and be able to do something about the problems they are facing head-on.
Amy Treadwell, a former teacher, said she is “so done” with how easy it is to purchase a gun and making the gun industry “so much more important than the lives on earth.”
“Seeing how they vilified the teachers right away instead of vilifying the gun manufacturers and vilifying the laws that have allowed this to happen,” she said. “Those things have to change.”
Morgan Vance and her husband Tom Vance came to the rally from Sauganash with their 10-year-old son Asher, who said he was taking part because he “shouldn’t have to feel scared to go to school.”
His mother said it’s important for her son to be included in the movement because she feels Asher is most affected by gun violence as he is the one going through active shooter drills at school and having to normalize being fearful.
“I feel like we’re sacrificing, particularly our children’s safety, to protect this false interpretation of the Second Amendment,” she said.
Tom Vance said being involved in March for Our lives is a way for legislators and leaders to “hear and see that people are concerned about this,” and the movement should be pushed “as far as they’ll let us push it to try and protect our kids.”
Although glad to be a part of Saturday’s rally, Asher said he wished there wasn’t a reason for him to be there doing something “for the kids in Texas who got shot.”
“I feel two very strong emotions,” Asher said. “I feel sad, and I feel angry. I feel sad because I shouldn’t have to be scared to learn something new every day, and I feel mad that I have to feel scared to go to school and that it is taking us this long to take action.”
Several people spoke to lead chants during the rally, including 17-year-old Peyton Arens, a student at Naperville North High School and a national movement organizer with March for Our Lives, congressional candidate and organizer Kina Collins, state Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback and U.S. Rep. Marie Newman.
Meanwhile, more than a hundred people lined up Saturday morning outside of St. Sabina Catholic Church in Auburn Gresham to turn in their guns to Chicago police for a $100 reward. An extra $100 was given to those turning in an assault weapon.
Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said the turn-in was “not a trick” to try and charge people with possession of a firearm but a way to help “save lives.” He said Saturday was the first gun turn-in of the year, and the city plans to hold “as many as we can” throughout the year.
About 150 guns had been collected shortly after 11 a.m. with a “long ways to go” as a lengthy line of people extending around the corner were still outside, Brown said.
Wayne Lach is a resident of southwest suburb Darien and said he turned in two guns Saturday morning, one that he inherited from a family member and the other from a friend. He said although he waited over an hour to get through the line and processing, the turn-in was a relief.
“It’s a hassle selling the guns to people because you’re worried about the paperwork getting done right,” he said. “This is good because it’s off the streets, taken care of, and you don’t have to worry.”
From a big city like Chicago to a small Texas town like Uvalde, Brown said “no one is immune” to gun violence.
“Our communities are never the same when we have that type of violence,” he said.
