JONESBORO, Ark. – A long line of marching and chanting area residents stretched from the Craighead County Courthouse down several blocks of Main Street on Saturday. It was the local demonstration of March For Our Lives, a nationwide movement focused on stopping school shootings
The movement gained momentum following the school shooting tragedy at Parkland, Florida. One of the local event organizers is Celeste Robinette, a 17-year-old student at Jonesboro High School.
“The march was amazing,” Robinette told NEA Report. “We had over 300 people show up. Hundreds. So many more than I expected, and it made me realize how national this truly is. We are all in this together.”
The weekend in Jonesboro held significance of its own, marking the 20th anniversary of the Westside School Shooting. With this tragedy in mind, it gave even more meaning to Saturday’s march from Jonesboro High School to the Craighead County Courthouse.
In addition to marching, organizers held voter registration drives once in front of the courthouse.
“I want people to understand that this movement is not anti-gun,” Robinette said. “We don’t want to take all guns away. We want to protect America’s youth and our future generations. We’re fighting for our safety.”
To learn more about the March For Our Lives effort, click here
Photos submitted by Celeste Robinette
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