By Saskia Hatvany
On March 24, the Bay Area joined the nation in protest against gun violence.
March for Our Lives gathered an estimated 1.2 million students, teachers and supporters across the country.
Oakland Police estimated that 2,000 people attended the march, which started next to City Hall at Frank Ogawa Plaza before the crowd made its way down 14th Street to Lake Merritt.
March for Our Lives was organized by Never Again MSD, a student-led gun control organization that advocates for tighter gun restrictions.
The group, also known for their hashtags #NeverAgain and #EnoughisEnough, was formed in response to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
On Feb. 14, a former student later identified as Nikolas Cruz fatally shot 17 students and staff members with an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle.
According to Vox News, March for Our Lives was one of the biggest youth protests since the Vietnam war. The biggest turnout, in Washington, D.C., drew between 200,000 and 800,000 people.
In the Bay Area, there were marches in several cities including San Francisco, Alameda and Richmond.
Lyft, the popular commuting app based in San Francisco, offered free rides in 50 U.S. cities hosting March for Our Lives events, including San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco.
On March 14, thousands of schools participated in a national student walk-out, which was organized in honor of the Parkland victims.
Saskia Hatvany is a writer and photographer for The Laney Tower
Photo Gallery
