Pulse shooting survivors meet with Parkland students
The survivors offered condolences, encouragement, and supported the students at the state capitol
Survivors of the 2016 massacre at Pulse Nightclub met with the survivors of the recent mass shooting in Parkland, Florida on Tuesday.
The Pulse survivors traveled to give comfort and support to the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which is still reeling after a 19-year-old former student killed 17 people last week.
Pulse shooting survivors are comforting Parkland shooting survivors. @CBSMiami pic.twitter.com/1lIC6gDida
— Carey (@ccoddcbs4news) February 20, 2018
“Y’all got this, y’all strong,” India Goodman, who survived the Pulse shooting, told a bus full of the students. “Make sure your voices are heard.”
The Pulse group met with about 100 students before the teens traveled from Parkland to Tallahassee to confront state lawmakers about gun violence.
Several students who were already in Tallahassee witnessed the Republican-led House of Representatives refuse to support a ban on assault weapons. Later that day, a number of the same lawmakers discussed a bill that would declare porn a public health risk.
AP: Sheryl Acquarola, a 16 year-old junior from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, is overcome with emotion in the east gallery of the Florida House after the representatives voted not to hear the assault rifles ban bill. pic.twitter.com/qA28kFCEig
— Micah Grimes (@MicahGrimes) February 20, 2018
The Pulse survivors joined thousands of other protesters on the steps of the Florida state capitol to hear the students speak. The rally featured students and local activists urging lawmakers to act on gun violence.
“No longer can I walk the halls I walked millions of times before without fear and sadness. No longer can I walk the halls without imagining blood stains and dead bodies,” said Florence Yared, a Stoneman Douglas junior, told the crowd.
She added: “I’m not trying to take away your Second Amendment rights, nor am I trying to eliminate all guns. But we cannot protect our guns before we protect our children.”
Pulse nightclub shooting survivors are standing in solidarity with students and teachers after the Parkland school shooting. pic.twitter.com/GlDd4dQWwW
— AJ+ (@ajplus) February 21, 2018
Pulse survivor Sylvia Serrano agreed with this sentiment
“I am a Pulse survivor and we come here to show love and support to the children of this tragedy. A tragedy that should not have happened past what happened at Pulse,” Serrano told AJ+, adding, “We’re gonna speak loud … We’re not gonna knock on doors, we’re gonna knock down some doors. And we’re gonna make sure that we are heard.”
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