Rally for school safety draws crowd to downtown Sandusky

SANDUSKY — Standing in the basement of First Congregational Church of Christ after a Saturday rally for "March For Our Lives," Perkins freshman Thien Vo described himself as an unlikely political leader."This is a surprise for me. I'm usually a shy and nervous person," said Vo, 15, a freshman at Perkins High School.Vo's suggestion that local students join the March For Our Lives movement, which held demonstrations Saturday in Washington, D.C., and around the country, drew a big response. A large crowd braved the cold Saturday to support Vo and the other students who rallied around him.The crowd, which Vo estimated at 150 and which appeared to be perhaps 200, listened to student speakers such as Vo at a rally held Saturday morning at Schade-Mylander Plaza. The crowd, mostly adults and many carrying signs, followed as the students then led a march down Columbus Avenue, escorted by police, to the basement of First Congregational. The church basement was ready for them, stocked with pizza, fruit and information booths.The many signs at the rally had messages such as "Arm teachers with PENCILS not GUNS!," "Enough is enough," and "Thoughts and prayers won't save lives, gun reform will." One sign appeared to quote an entire verse from Bob Dylan's protest song, "The Times They Are A Changin'," the verse beginning with "Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call."Speaker after speaker at the rally — all students — called for change in the nation's gun laws.McClain "Woody" Farley, 17, a Perkins High School junior, asked people in the crowd to contact lawmakers."If they do not meet our demands, we will vote them out of office," he said."I deserve a sense of security when I sit inside a movie theater or a classroom," said student Sidney Gleis.Denver Jordan, 15, a Perkins freshman, said gun control is compatible with the Second Amendment, which she said ties the right to bear arms with "a well regulated militia.""A militia is not referring to civilians," she said.People can support gun control without supporting a gun ban, or taking away guns from responsible citizens, she argued.Similar rallies were held across the country and around the world Saturday. The Washington Post reported more than 800 events were scheduled worldwide. The newspaper said a "huge crowd" was gathering in Washington, D.C., that could amount to hundreds of thousands.The church basement where the march ended had several information booths.Some of the booths were for community resources, such as the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Erie and Ottawa Counties, the Erie County Health Department, Sandusky Artisans Recovery Community Center and a table where people could register to vote.Other booths supplied information aimed at helping the gun control cause. Two tables had literature outlining current Ohio gun laws, and listing gun proposals in the Ohio General Assembly and in Congress.Another table had #Enough Gun Violence postcards and stamps. The postcards were already addressed to U.S Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo; U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; state Rep. Steve Ardnt, R-Sandusky, and state Sen. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green — all lawmakers who represent Sandusky.Vo said that after he decided to join the March For Our Lives movement, he approached his English teacher, Jess Van Ness."She helped me come up with ideas and do the legal work," he said.Vo also enlisted a friend, fellow Perkins freshman Alyvia Gilchrist, 15, who agreed to help organize the event.Gilchrist said students used social media such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat to spread the word.She said she was pleased by Saturday's turnout."It's a lot more than I was expecting, anyway," she said.Reach reporter Tom Jackson at jackson@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @jacksontom.A large crowd is in attendance for the March For Our Lives event, a student lead march dealing with issues surrounding gun laws. Mar. 24, 2018.A sea of signs and people are seen supporting the student speakers talking about gun violence in American schools. Mar. 24, 2018.A sign reading "Keep Kids Safe" is one of many seen at the March For Our Lives event, where students spoke about gun control. Mar. 24, 2018.The Schade-Mylander Plaza is the spot for students to speak and march for issues dealing with gun control in schools in America. Mar. 24, 2018.A list of past acts of gun violence is among the many signs raised during the March For Our Lives event.Mitchell Thatcher, a sophomore at Perkins High School, speaks to the crowd at the March For Our Lives event. Mar. 24, 2018.A mix of young and old are out to protest gun violence in the streets of Sandusky for the March For Our Lives event in Sandusky. Mar. 24, 2018.One of many signs raised at the March For Our Lives event in Sandusky. Mar. 24, 2018.Perkins freshman Olivia Gilchrist talks about issues surrounding gun control during the March For Our Lives event held at Schade-Mylander Plaza in Sandusky. Mar. 24, 2018.A mix of young and old are out to protest gun violence in the streets of Sandusky for the March For Our Lives event in Sandusky. Mar. 24, 2018.