Teenagers pushing for gun control hold 'lie-in' at White House

Teens hold a &quot;lie in&quot; at the White House Monday.

(Image credit: Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

last updated 20 February 2018

Dozens of teenagers participated in a "lie-in" outside of the White House on Monday, calling for stricter gun laws and an end to school shootings like the massacre last week at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, which left 17 dead and 15 injured.

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The protest was organized by a group called Teens for Gun Reform. On Facebook, the organizers said they wanted to "make a statement on the atrocities which have been committed due to the lack of gun control, and send a powerful message to our government that they must take action now." The teens stretched out on the sidewalk, remaining on the ground for just a few minutes "in order to symbolize how quickly someone, such as the [Florida] shooter, is able to purchase a gun in America," the group said.

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Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have also mobilized, and they're planning a rally against school and gun violence, March for Our Lives, on March 24 in Washington, D.C., with sister events across the United States. "We're going to have, in every major city, somewhere that people all across the country can go to," student Brendan Duff told NPR. Students "want to feel engaged, and they want to do something to help. And this is it." Catherine Garcia

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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